Let the sparks fly
by SomeShades
Summary: (Formerly Yawarakai) Sakura returns after over a year of absence from Konoha. Upon her return, something about her has changed. Something her former Sensei is all too eager to discover. But will she be able to trust him enough to show him? Adult Sakura/Kakashi, Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

It was time.  
A pair of jade coloured eyes surveyed the apartment. It was as good as empty, all there was left part from the furniture was a backpack and a couple of small pouches and straps scattered around it. Other than that, there was no sign of anyone living here. The woman brushed her hair out of her face, took the hitae-ate from the pack and sighed.  
It had been over a year since she'd last worn it. She'd taken it off the night she had arrived in Sunagakure and never put it on since. How much had changed in the time she had spent in Kaze no Kuni?

She'd reached her goal. She had become one of the best medics known to the shinobi world. She'd developed techniques, perfected her chakra control – she had even managed to use her affinity for genjutsu to her advantage. It had been an amazing experience to help build a decent hospital for the shinobi of Suna. The Kazekage had expressed his gratitude and allowed her to use her medic abilities to their advantage. She had enjoyed teaching some of the newly trained medics the more complex methods she had developped to heal certain injuries in half the time and she had enjoyed learning about the Hidden Sand. However, it was time to take the knowledge she had gained home where she belonged.

She was excited to be returning to Ki no Kuni, to see her friends again, the village and it's wonders.  
Though there would be no family to welcome her home, there was her shishou and the shinobi she'd grown up around. She smiled and tied the hitae ate around her neck, just like Hinata had always done. Strapping the pouches to her legs and belt, she picked up her pack and exited the apartment, not looking back.

She made her way to the Kazekage's office in the tower and respectfully bowed her head to Gaara who smiled a small smile at her as she entered.  
„I can see you're ready to leave."  
She nodded in response, dropping her backpack to the floor.  
„I wanted to express my gratitude. Your work here has been extremely valuable. You have taught use much and quite significally raised our post-mission recovery rate. I've made some notes of your work for your shishou, the Hokage.", he handed her a sealed scroll. Then he pulled out a set of surgical blades and motioned for her to take them. She inspected the tools and what she saw pleased her tremendously.  
„They are chakra-blades. Much like kunai which cater to your chakra affinity. However these only react when used in combination with medical ninjutsu."  
She nodded and smiled. These blades were extremely hard to come by.  
„Thank you, Kazekage-sama."  
„You may now return home. I have a team waiting to escort you safely to the border of Hi no Kuni, from there on, you'll be travelling alone."  
„Understood, Gaara-sama."  
She picked up her gear and shouldered the pack, turning to leave the room.  
„Oh and one more thing Sakura-san: say hi to Naruto for me."  
She nodded and left the office to find two masked Anbu waiting for her.

Without a word, they left the building and soon exited Sunagakure, darting through the desert at inhuman speed.  
_Soon,_ she thought_, she'd be home._

The summer sun slowly began to set above the still busy streets of Konoha. The lazy sun rays licked the rooftops, giving the Hidden Leaf a golden glow. Even though it was close to nightfall, the narrow streets were buzzing with life. Children playing and hiding from their parents, couples strolling past restaurants and street vendors praising their goods to anyone within earshot. Even a few shinobi were seen enjoying some time off. Among them was one of Konohas finest, seated on a stool at Ichiraku's, watching the number one surprising ninja of the Leaf devour his fourth bowl of ramen with obvious satisfaction. The elder of the two sighed, knowing this escapade would weigh heavy on his wallet. Treating Naruto to a meal was never a cheap affair. But it was his birthday after all, and as the silver haired jounin had forgotten to buy him a present, he had promised to make up for it by treating him to Ichiraku ramen.

He eyed the blond, his obsidian gaze amused. The boy had grown. He had even made chuunin earlier that year. After 6 years of hard training, countless missions and limitless chaos, he was finally closer to the goal he had voiced before even graduating the academy. At 20 years of age, he was no longer a child, nor was he as impulsive as he had once been. He had matured, yet still retained his boyish attitude and loud mouth. Jiraya had trained him well. He worked himself to the bone, never losing sight of the goal he so desperately yearned to reach. Convincing Sasuke to return to the village – or forcing him if necessary - was still ranking high on his list of priorities, right behind becoming Hokage. Not only his attitude had changed, he had become a man physically as well though still slightly shorter than his former sensei. His ramen-eating capacity however, hadn't lessened in the slightest.

The copy-nin smiled slightly and turned to his own bowl of half-eaten ramen. Team Kakashi had been disbanded by the Godaime the previous year, as the three members followed different paths.  
Sai had become a strategic genius, using his anbu training to his advantage. He worked closely with Shikamaru to plan out missions before they were handed out to the shinobi. He had even acquired a set of half-decent social skills though he still misread situations.  
As for the pink haired kunoichi, no one was certain of her whereabouts. No one but her shishou, the Godaime that is. She had without telling anyone why or where to. At first it was assumed that she was running errands for the Hokage or that she had been sent on a mission of some sorts. Then, gradually people just stopped caring.  
That held true for most the shinobi in town, though there were still a select few that worried over her absence.

"Kakashi-sensei."  
His eyebrow twitched as he was pulled from his train of thought by the blond bundle of joy next to him.  
"Thanks! I'm so full I can hardly move! Best birthday ever!", Naruto exclaimed happily patting his belly.  
"Yeah, yeah.", Kakashi grinned at the chuunin and gestured to a smiling Teuchi for him to give him the bill.  
"Check please."

As the pair of them exited the ramen booth, Naruto spotted Kiba and Hinata and quickly hurried off to join his comrades. Smirking underneath his mask, Kakashi pulled out his worn out copy of_ Icha-Icha Paradise_ and flipped it open. It didn't matter much that he had read and re-read the series countless times, he never tired of them. However he didn't focus on the controversial piece of literature for long as his mind slipped to his previous train of thought. Sakura's departure had left Naruto desolate. That, among other reasons, was why it wasn't easy not to break the promise he had made that night.

It had been a cold night, just after midnight. He had just been discharged from the Hospital after returning from a mission dead on his feet yet again. It was only a matter of time until the medics weren't able to fix the wounds he brought home from his S-class missions. It didn't help that he refused to bring a team most of the time. Walking through the deserted, nocturnal streets he came by the main gate where a sudden flicker of a familiar chakra presence suddenly drew his attention. He looked in the direction of the presence and noticed a slender female figure making her way to the gate. He instantly recognised the woman as his former student and quickly moved towards her, letting it look as though he appeared out of thin air next to her.  
"Yo."  
She winced at the sudden noise and turned to face him. He caught a glimmer of anger in her eyes before her look softened.  
"Sensei! What are you doing here?", she asked in a barely audible whisper.  
"You're in some position to ask – where do you think you're going this late?"  
She hesitated for a second then sighed.  
"I'm leaving."

He'd waited for her to continue and noticed her attire differed strongly from her normal one.  
Her pink hair had been caught in a bun with only few wisps surrounding her face and held by her hitae ate in it's usual place. She'd exchanged her usual t-shirt and skirt for the typical Konoha shinobi uniform, hardly different from his own. He hadn't ever seen her wear it before, which only made him even more curious as to her destination and purpose.  
After what seemed like an eternity she'd continued to speak  
"I'll be gone for a while. A year at least."  
He had eyed her suspiciously before answering.  
"Right. Have you told anyone?"  
She had shaken her head, dropping her gaze, almost as though she was ashamed.  
"I thought it best not to. Tsunade-shishou knows, after all she agreed to let me leave. But I don't think I could handle telling Naruto."  
"You do realise that he'll be standing in Godaime-sama's office first thing tomorrow after she notices that you're gone?"  
She had smiled slightly at the thought, obviously picturing the blond bursting into Tsunade's office in the early morning, demanding an explanation – or a search team, depending on his level of panic.  
"Hai. She'll tell him that I've gone on a long-term mission."  
"Are you going on a mission?"

She had hesitated just a second before shaking her head.  
"Not as such. I just need some time to actually get to know myself. To train and to learn. I won't be able to use my full potential if I stay here to clean up Naruto's messes all the time. I'm more than just the little girl chasing Naruto around the world and making sure he doesn't get himself killed."  
He'd nodded in understanding. After all, she was right. All she was known for was her friendship with the jinchuuriki and her apprenticeship with the Hokage. Hell, he had even neglected her as a genin.  
Sasuke's genius and Naruto's hopelessness had always come first. She had always just sort of tagged along, secretly keeping everyone together. She had always been a good kunoichi, her talents just never valued the way they should have. And after years of neglect, now as a young woman, she finally stood up for herself.

"Sensei-", she'd begun  
"Kakashi.", he'd interrupted her, "You haven't been my student for a couple of months now."  
"But, I couldn't-", she'd shaken her head.  
"Kakashi. It's my first name, use it."  
She'd nodded in defeat and smiled a shy smile before looking him right in the eye.  
"I have to leave. I have a long journey ahead of me."  
He too had nodded in agreement.  
"Stay safe Sakura. And do return.", he'd warned with a serious tone to his voice that you rarely heard outside of battle.  
"Hai. Promise you won't tell Naruto. He wouldn't understand."  
"I promise. He might try to recover you anyway though."  
"That would be Naruto.",she had laughed before turned to leave and made a few steps before turning halfway towards him again.  
"Farewell, Kakashi."  
"I wish you the best of luck, Sakura."

Then, without a sound, the kunoichi had disappeared beyond the gates of the Hidden Leaf, into the night leaving her former teacher wondering where her journey might take her.  
Then he'd shrugged and began to walk home. He'd smirked at the uproar Naruto would most certainly cause the moment he learned of her departure. He'd try to recover her no doubt.  
He shook her head in disbelief. His students were no doubt the most chaotic bunch of shinobi Konoha had ever seen.

It had been 18 months, 2 weeks and 3 days since Sakura had left. And still Naruto never ceased to hope that she'd be back the next day. Kakashi remembered too well how Naruto had stormed the Hokage's office the second he'd discovered that his best friend was gone. He had been there, coincidentally of course. Tsunade hadn't gone easy on the boy, leaving his backside sore for months.  
She'd even threatened to take away his newly earned chuunin rank if he chased after the pink haired girl. It was very clear that Sakura was to return on her own terms whenever she saw fit.

He burried his nose in his book, wandering around town before heading home to his appartment. When he finally made it through his front door he removed his vest and shoes and let himself fall onto the couch in the living room, his eyes never leaving the pages of the book.  
He had hardly been seated for five minutes when he was pulled from his reading by a loud knocking – or rather bashing – on his front door.  
He seriously considered not responding but decided against it. As the silver haired jounin opened the door, a flustered looking Naruto practically fell into the corridor revealing Shikamaru behind him.  
"What in the name of Kami is going on?", he asked.  
Naruto quickly started rambling incomprehensively so Kakashi gestured to the jounin behind him to fill him in.  
"Godaime-sama requests your presence at her office. Along with this one. Sai is already there. There's someone there who would like to see you."  
He raised an eyebrow. Being summoned to see Tsunade past ten o'clock wasn't rare. However the reason he was given was exceptional. He nodded, grabbed his vest and pulled on his shoes before joining Shikamaru and the still overly excited Naruto. They walked in relative silence, Naruto mumbling something he couldn't quite understand. The only word he could make out was his signature "dattebayo" at the end of every other incomprehensible sentence.  
They reached the Hokage tower where Shikamaru left them. Naruto stormed ahead and entered the office of the Godaime without knocking. Shizune gave them an odd look before smiling as he himself entered. Except from the secretary and Tsunade herself he didn't spot anyone but Sai already standing in front of the desk.

"Tsunade-obaa-chan!"  
Trust Naruto to greet the Hokage inappropriately. The Godaime however only shook her head in exasperation before gesturing to a person standing next to the door.  
Both Kakashi and Naruto turned on their heels just to see a familiar face.  
Sakura smiled warmly at them. Naruto looked dumbfounded at first, then jumped to hug her tight.  
The copy-nin watched the scene unfold before him, amazed at how much she had changed and yet managed to stay herself.  
She was clad in a shortsleeved turtleneck, over a mesh-undershirt and the standart issue Konoha flak jacket. Her legs were covered in black leggins and her usual black shinobi-footwear. She'd taken to wear long black gloves as well and her hitae-ate was bound around her neck. The clothes were about the same as she had left in though it fit her differently. He let his unmasked eye take her entire appearance in.  
She was more toned than she had been when she left, and yet she had gained a certain feminine air and a set of slight curves to match. Her hair had grown longer and she wore it down, with straight bangs to frame her face and hide her forehead. That specific bodypart had always been one she'd hated. Seemed as though that hadn't changed. There was something else though, something he hadn't yet seen. He couldn't quite put his finger on what, but there was something in her air which shouted change.

"Hi boys!", she said still smiling, after Naruto had let go.  
Her former sensei smiled at her from behind his mask and she smiled back.  
"It's been a while Sakura.", he said.  
"True. I've missed you guys. Happy birthday Naruto-kun!", she smiled and pulled a small package from the backpack behind her and threw it to the blond before stepping forward and turning to face the Hokage.  
"Welcome home Sakura.", the Godaime said with a small smile. "Now we have some talking to do so if you boys wouldn't mind..."  
"She's only just come back, Tsunade-baa-chan!"  
"NARUTO! I will not have you talk to me like that!", Tsunade roared and looked like she was ready to pounce. Naruto fled the room hiding behind the wall.  
Then the Godaime turned to Kakashi.  
"It will only take a minute. She'll be right with you. Wait outside and keep that troublemakerquiet.", she sighed.  
The silver haired jounin nodded and silently left the room, closing the door behind him.  
He was more than interested in hearing the story the pink haired woman would have to tell. She had been gone for ages and something seemed off though he couldn't quite pinpoint what. Yet.

* * *

Long first chapter – in fact this is the first story I've ever written that didn't start off with some sort of sketchy prologue. I didn't think it would fit the story, just make it all the more melodramatic.  
I hope to make this fic a long one and I want it to go places. There will be fluff, there will lemons, there will be drama and there will be action of all kinds (though the fluff and lemons will have to wait until a little further down the road – I do want this to be believable).  
I would appreciate feedback of all sorts – especially constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

I promised another chapter so here you go. I'd like to thank the two reviewers – I've never received reviews that fast before. So this one is for you, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

It had been a long day and an even longer night.  
Sakura was pretty sure she hadn't ever been asked so many questions in such a short amount of time before. She was also sure that she'd never lied as often either. She exhaled deeply, leaning against the cool surface of her apartment door. She was spent. The last thing she had needed after three full days of fast traveling had been this. Naruto's incessant begging for information had been tiring. Even more so than the entire trip from the Hidden Sand to the Leaf. He had grown up slightly though. He didn't linger on one question once she refused to answer it. He proceeded with a barrage of new ones and was rewarded with a bunch of half-truths.  
However, she was certain that he believed every word of what she said. She left out as much as she possibly could. Too much had happened and he doubted that he'd understand.

She took of her shoes and proceeded further into the familiarity of her home. Or at least what had been her home until she'd abandoned it.  
She let herself fall unto the sofa and pondered the evening. She didn't worry about Naruto catching on to the misinformation she had shared. He was too naïve and trusted her indiscriminately.  
It was a different pair of eyes that bothered her.

"Sakura-chaaaan, let's go for a drink! Team Kakashi together for the first time in years! On my birthday! That calls for a celebration!"  
The blond jinchuuriki skipped ahead of the rest of his team dragging the newly returned kunoichi along behind him. Sai followed.

Kakashi had already pulled out his book and tagged along behind them, his nose buried in the pages of Jiraya-sensei's work. In reality though he wasn't nearly as concentrated as he might look. He watched Naruto dragging the pink haired jounin by her wrist and was amazed that she hadn't punched him into the next century yet for being so annoying.  
The four of them soon entered a bar often frequented by the village's shinobi. Naruto ordered sake for Sai and himself, Kakashi asked for shochu. Sakura quietly ordered tea despite Naruto's bickering. She was a lightweight and there was no way she'd be able to answer the questions she knew were sure to follow without disclosing too much information if she was inebriated.

After the beverages had been served, Naruto didn't waste any time  
"Sakura-chan where have you been? And why didn't you tell anyone?"  
The young woman almost choked on her tea. Kami, that was fast. Kakashi reprimanded Naruto thoroughly for being obnoxious and the blond began to pout. After coughing and catching her breath she answered somewhat nonchalantly.  
"Tsunade already told you that I went on a long-term mission. I wasn't at liberty to discuss it with anyone."  
"But now you've completed it, you can tell us where you went right?"

She sighed.  
"Hai...I guess I can tell you at least something. Not all the details though, alright?", she offered.  
The blond thought about it for a second, then nodded.  
She noticed Kakashi's coal-black eye lingering on her, as though he was highly interested as well.  
Here goes nothing, she thought and began.

"I went to Kaze no Kuni, to Suna more precisely to help out reorganising the hospital. There are few medics as well trained as myself so Tsunade suggested that I go," she said, "Gaara told me to say hi."  
At least that was true. She had ended up in Suna after all and the hospital had been a big part of her life. She wasn't about to tell Naruto what had happened in the months before she'd reached the Hidden Sand.

"But you were gone for over a year, why did it take so long?"  
"There was just so much to do."  
"And why couldn't you tell us?"  
"Because I wasn't allowed to, baka!"

"Medic-nin are extremely valuable assets to their villages Naruto. They are rare because the chakra control required is so precise, so it's fairly uncommon for them to leave their towns for longer periods of time, let alone to aid other hidden villages. After all each village has different medical techniques and Konoha's hospital is top of the league. Had anyone known, Sakura might had been intercepted and forced to conspire against Konoha. As Suna and Konoha are allies, it makes sense for her to travel there to help." Kakashi explained to Naruto, his gaze however never left hers.

Sakura made a mental note to thank him. She wasn't that good a liar, she had always been too honest. She nodded in agreement.  
"So nothing dangerous?"  
She shook her head and smiled reassuringly.  
"Iie. Just a lots of boring medical ninjutsu and books.", she lied.

Her trip had been dangerous. She had found herself injured more often than she cared to remember. And then there had been _him._ After he'd found her, she'd been within an inch of her life for months.  
He had made sure to keep it that way.

She tried not to wince at the memory however she failed miserably. She hadn't meant to think of him, in fact she'd banished him from her mind. She couldn't afford to let it slip. She tried to cover up her reaction by coughing again and acting as though she had managed to choke on her tea again. However, there was one eye that she couldn't fool. Her former sensei had noticed.

_Damn, _she cursed inwardly and begged he wouldn't follow up on it. For a man who usually had his head in the clouds he could be extraordinarily perceptive. Who was she kidding, Kakashi wasn't known across the continent for nothing.  
She took a sip of her tea and continued to answer the less dangerous questions her team mate now asked, hoping her slip might be let slide.

It had been too good to be true anyway. It had all been so easy until she had given herself away with that little insignificant twitch. She was angry at herself for being so naïve. Of course Kakashi had noticed. After all, he'd known her since she was a girl. And even worse than that, he had been a shinobi for nearly three decades. What if he decided to follow up on that little reaction? What if he caught on? After all she had been careless enough to tell him that she wasn't going on a mission the night she left. What if he decided to investigate?

_Pull your self together, _she chastised herself. It didn't mean anything. And if she kept acting suspiciously around the copy-nin her cover would be blown in no time. He wasn't in the bingo-books for nothing.  
The pink-haired kunoichi closed her eyes. She would just have to act confident and watch her tongue. And no more remembering that _bastard._ She had banished the memories for a reason after all. She _wouldn't _ allow him to interfere with her life. She had escaped, she was alive and that was all that mattered.

She got up and began to unpack her backpack, placing her new surgical instruments on the sideboard in the living room. Then, after a hot shower to wash away the dust from traveling, she dried herself off and headed into the bedroom. She cracked the window open and peeked out into the night. Then she took a pair of hot pants and a white tank top from her dresser and slid under the covers of her bed. There really was nothing like sleeping in her own bed. She gave the day another thought or two and then gradually slipped off to sleep.

It was early morning when she woke up, she had hardly slept more than five or six hours. She was used to it however, in Suna, her work day had started at six a.m and ended hours after sunset. It was safe to say that she way used to being exhausted. Not this morning though, she felt relaxed and well rested. She stretched her limbs before getting out of bed and rushing to the bathroom. After a long, hot shower, she started drying her long tresses and crossed her bedroom to the dresser. She picked a set of underwear and donned her uniform. She had missed wearing it. Contrary to most of her comrades, she had taken to wearing it even after the war, as she became jounin. It made her feel like she belonged. Instead of the standard issue turtleneck, she wore a black tank top over the mesh undershirt. Despite the heat, she still donned the green vest though she left it open.

The Godaime had asked her if she were willing to push the promised r&r back by a couple of weeks and do her a favour. She had agreed without reluctance, as she was more than happy to be home and able to do her job. In return, her shishou had offered to only send her on non-lethal missions and use her for training until she had gotten used to the routine again. She had kept herself in perfect shape, but she had tried to stay clear of combat.

She gave herself an appraising look in the mirror before tying her hitae-ate around her neck and swiftly leaving the apartment. She was to report to Tsunade at 7 a.m sharp to receive her orders.  
She slowly made her way through the narrow alleys through the market streets. She was greeted by some of the civilians, all of them which were happy to see that she had returned safe and sound. Contrary to most ninja villages, the Konoha civilians were overly friendly towards their own shinobi and saw it as an honour to be protected by them. This resulted in respectful greetings and some occasional free snack or drink from the shopkeepers around town. Especially where team Kakashi was concerned. Sakura never took advantage of that and always paid what she owed. After buying an apple from the old woman at the green grocers, she continued towards the Hokage tower.

She was right on time, as usual. If there was something she hated, it was being late. Quite ironically when you considered who had been her sensei. She shook her head in exasperation as tried to recall the numerous times the silver-haired jounin had been late for training, always with some completely incredible story at the ready.

When she reached the door to the Godaime's office, she knocked politely and waited until a sharp  
"Enter!" resounded from within the room.  
Only then did she push open the door and enter with a curt nod and a polite greeting.  
"Good morning, Hokage-sama."  
"Right on time Sakura. I wish you'd teach some of your comrades to try to do the same."  
She smirked knowing who her shishou was referring to. Her smile faded though as she saw the look on the Hokage's face. She was positively worried, Sakura could tell. Shizune didn't look any happier either. She had feeling her time off was moving further and further away considering the look she was given by the blonde woman in front of her.

"I'll wait until Hatake gets here before I disclose any information on your next mission." Sakura's brow narrowed at the mention of the copy-nin. A mission requiring two high ranking jounin? She had been promised that no killing would be involved in her next mission though, so she wasn't getting upset yet. She had only been home for twelve hours, this better not be another long-term commitment.

The three women waited for a couple of minutes before the Godaime ran out of patience and sent Shikamaru off to fetch the silver-haired jounin.  
A few minutes later, the door swung open and a tired looking Kakashi entered. He scratched the back of his head with one hand and raised the other in apology.  
"Sorry, Tsunade-sama,", he offered, " I was held up by this little kitten and..."

"Don't try to pull that off with me Kakashi. Punctuality is an important shinobi quality.", she barked at him and he instantly dropped the act and was serious as ever.  
"Now that you're finally both here, I can finally get to the point."  
_So much for a bit of rest,_ the kunoichi thought. But such was the life of a shinobi, ever full of surprises.

"It's not a mission as such. I'm putting together a team of rather promising genin and I'd like the both of you to act as sensei."  
Sakura frowned at her superior. Unconventional as it was, having two teachers gave the genin a chance to develop all of their abilities evenly. She had seen it in Suna and there was no doubt that Gaara had mentioned it in the scroll she'd been given for her superior. She glanced at her former sensei. If they were to work together as a team, just the pair of them, she was sure he'd watch over her like a hawk. She would be more prone to let something slip if he made her nervous with his constant presence. But she'd be kept busy for a while, and she would certainly be able to invent something plausible if Kakashi did ask questions.

The silver-haired jounin eyed his former student carefully. She seemed tense but clearly tried not to show it. He had been taken aback at first, considering that they were both considered a part of the elite, but it would give him the perfect opportunity to find out what the woman was hiding.  
He gave Tsunade an inquiring look and shrugged.

Sakura hesitated for a second before nodding and thereby officially accepting the job.  
"Good. I paired up the pair of you because your skills and proficiencies compliment each other perfectly. Kakashi's affinity for ninjutsu and his sharingan coupled with his experience in teaching will be well suited to match your knowledge of genjutsu and medical ninjutsu. ", the Godaime explained. "I also hope that Sakura might keep your nose away from those awful books of yours Hatake.", she eyed the man sharply. The pink haired kunoichi doubted that the _Icha Icha_ series would disappear, after all she had witnessed her former sensei read them during her genin training as well.

Sakura couldn't help but feel curious about the genin that would soon be her pupils. They must be something else if the Hokage thought it best for them to be taught this particular way.  
"Understood.", the two jounin chorused.  
"I've arranged for you to meet your team later. I'll have Iruka brief you on their academic scores and history. Meet him at the academy in half an hour. Training starts today. I suggest the pair of you talk it over."  
"Yes, Hokage-sama."  
"Any further questions?"  
"No."  
Without any further ado, the pair of them exited the office into the hallway.

Once the door closed behind them, the copy-nin pulled the infamous _Icha Icha Tactics_ from his back pocket and was promptly rewarded with an annoyed look.  
"I thought the entire point of this was to avoid you sticking your nose in that all the time."  
"I've taught before you know."  
Of course she knew, she had been a student of his after all.

"And I might have a lot of time on my hands this afternoon so why not read?", he asked without his eyes leaving the pages.  
With a twitching eyebrow, the kunoichi snatched the paperback from her senpai's hands and stuffed it in her waist pouch. She turned to face him and smirked at his dumbfounded expression.

"You'll get it back as soon as training's over. No corrupting young, impressionable minds on my watch Kakashi-senpai."  
He sighed with obvious displeasure but didn't argue the matter.  
"So, how are we going to do this? Do you plan on subjecting them to your bell-test?", she inquired while remembering her own fruitless attempts at snatching a bell from the copy-nin as a kid.

He seemed to consider the idea for an instant before shrugging.  
"I had that in mind but now that I think about it, I have a better idea.", he said.  
At her curious expression he smirked, "You'll see what I mean."  
"We'll have to devise a curriculum for the training units and work out a teaching paradigm.", she thought out loudly, earning her an amused look from the silver-haired man next to her.  
"Don't worry your pretty little head. It'll work out just fine without any excess planning. I never planned a single lesson with you back then and you turned out remarkably well."

The woman definitely worried too much. Kakashi could easily see how this undertaking might turn out more tiring than he had imagined. She hadn't even met the students and assessed their abilities and she was already going into planning overdrive. He glanced down at her significantly shorter frame. She was obviously going to be a great sensei to the genin, his main role might turn out to keep her from overdoing it with the scheduling.

After all, he didn't work well on a schedule. As much as he loved rules and guidelines, a shinobi had to adapt to impromptu situations all the time. There was no reason whatsoever to train the youngsters using a time table. He made a mental note to make sure she kept it within the realm of normalcy. She could be a control freak at times. It had come in handy sometimes with Naruto on the team, since he had needed strict rules.

She had changed in ways he hadn't noticed at first. He'd been amazed to see her in the classic uniform when he had arrived earlier. Most kunoichi chose to wear their own clothes. He supposed it was due to a sense of vanity or a desire to stick out from the masses. But she seemed the opposite and she seemed less hot-tempered than he remembered her. Anxious to see how she would cope with three overly excited genin, Kakashi followed his fellow jounin out of the Hokage tower towards the academy.

* * *

The second chapter has always been the hardest one to write in my opinion so bear with me. In any story though, not just this one.  
I'm grateful for whatever criticism you might fling at me, I really appreciate it. You won't ever see me begging for reviews or withholding updates if you don't drop a review. I believe that reviews ought to be truthful and come from the heart so it would do little good if I'd try to force you.  
I'm grateful for silent readers too.

SomeShades!


	3. Chapter 3

Ohayo.  
A sincere apology on my part for updating one day late. Nursing a sick child back to health is a full time job so I didn't get to do much writing.  
I'm extremely thankful for the 5(!) reviews that I received since uploading the second chapter. You really made my day! I try to answer them via pm but unfortunately some of you weren't logged on to the site. Still, this one is for all of you.

* * *

Sakura had hardly set foot on the academy grounds since team seven was formed nearly a decade ago. The kunoichi felt a wave of nostalgia crashing in as she remembered how she had spent most of her days in the class room hiding her blush from Sasuke and ignoring Naruto to the best of her ability. She couldn't help but smile at how easy life had been back then when none of them had understood what it truly means to be a shinobi.

She was ashamed to have been so naive. All she had cared about was being better than Ino and securing a certain Uchiha's affections. Looking back, she didn't truly understand why she had been so obsessed with the raven-haired boy. He had been obsessed with revenge from the very day they met. And when she thought of all the despicable things he had done and all of the people he had hurt in the process, she felt a sudden surge of anger and disappointment.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before following the copy-nin through the door and down the corridor to Iruka's office. She had always liked the man, he was as kind and as thoughtful as they come and he had always had a soft spot for Naruto. Kami knows how much Naruto needed his approval. To this day, Iruka was the first person Naruto would ask for advice.

Kakashi didn't bother knocking and entered the office, his hand raised in greeting.  
"Yo!"  
The pink haired kunoichi followed, ashamed of the silver-haired jounin's lack of manners.  
Iruka greeted them with a smile.  
"Hi there Kakashi-senpai, Sakura-chan!", he beamed at them from behind his desk. Taking three files from the top of a stack he rose from the simple wooden chair and approached the pair of them with a smile plastered to his face. Handing the papers to Kakashi, he turned to Sakura and looked all around pleased, leaving Kakashi to flip through the files.

"You must be excited to teach your first team of genin Sakura. You were top of the class back in the academy right. Affinity for Genjutsu if I remember right?"  
She nodded.  
"Yeah well I hope that I'll live up to the challenge."  
"Your students aren't your average academy graduates though. Kakashi-senpai, what do you think?", he asked

Kakashi handed the files back to Iruka, and Sakura could tell that he was intrigued by what he had read. Sakura shot him a questioning glance which he answered with a masked smile.  
"Triplets. Tsurugi, Akihiro and Yume Hara. 10 years old. Great nephews to the Sandaime Hokage. Each of them with a near perfect score on their written examinations. However, their strength lies within their family ties. They work as a unit, each one of them complimenting the others."

Her eyebrows shot up involuntarily at the last sentence. That did sound promising. Still, Sakura remained suspicious – it was unheard of to have two jounin in charge of a three man cell and siblings were almost never on the same team. Even if they were talented, usually one elite shinobi would suffice. As Tsunade had put it, co-training had it's merits but she remained unconvinced. She had a growing hunch that Tsunade-sama had kept something from her, at least she wouldn't put it beyond her shishou to have ulterior motives.

"Godaime-sama said we were to meet the candidates and begin training right away."  
Iruka nodded.  
"I'll go get them and then you can see for yourselves."  
As soon as Iruka left the room, Sakura turned immediately crossed the room to stand next to the silver-haired jounin. Neither of them spoke, each contemplating the task ahead.  
It wasn't set in stone after all, the triplets might still fail to pass the initial requirements. She knew that Kakashi had been a strict teacher in the past and that team seven had been the only one to pass his test. She looked at her colleague and found him leaning against the wooden wall panels, eyes shut and hands in his pockets.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of what he had read in the files. Some of the notes Iruka had him wondering if this might be too much for Sakura. Not that he believed her incapable of being in charge of genin, it just seemed harsh to throw her into a teaching role by giving her prodigies for students. After all, she was still young and fairly inexperienced.

_Don't be ridiculous, she's an adult and she has more real battle experience than most of her peers. She fought Obito and Madara during the war. You forget what she's faced throughout the years, _he mentally scolded himself. _She'll be fine, besides, you'll be there to keep an eye on things. You're not made jounin  
_"Say, Sakura-chan...nervous?", he asked teasingly, "Your first real team after all."

"Shannaro!"  
A twitch of her hand and before he could blink, he was forced to duck out of the way to avoid her fist, sending her crashing into the wall. The force of her chakra-punch's impact left an impressive crater in the wall.  
"You hypocrite! Do you think I'm incapable of handling a few kids? I'm not weak!", she yelled at him, her face contorted into a grimace.

He searched her face and was shocked at what he saw. He hadn't meant it that way. He was simply trying to tease her a little. What was that look in her eyes, so full of disgust? He was almost sure it wasn't directed at him, she had never reacted so strongly towards him. His eyes narrowed as he studied her face. This wasn't the Sakura he had known for so long. What on earth had happened while she was gone? Then, as though nothing had ever happened her features softened. Then she turned away, smiling.  
"Sorry, Kakashi-san.", her voice was soft as ever. No sign of the anger or resentment he had seen in her gaze just a second ago. She brushed the rubble off her hand and acted as though everything was perfectly within the norm.

The silver-haired jounin however was not about to let this slide. She had behaved strangely the night before, and now she had gone berserk at a benign comment. He was determined to discover what was going on with her, there was no way he would just ignore this.  
"Sakura, what...", he began but was rudely interrupted by the door.  
"Kakashi-san, Sakura-chan, would you mind following me to the class room? The triplets are eager to meet you."

Sakura turned to follow but stopped dead in her tracks as Kakashi spoke.  
"Sure! Go ahead, we'll join you in an instant.", he answered authoritatively. Iruka nodded and left, deeming it better to let the jounin have his way.

Once he was certain that the chuunin instructor had left, he dropped his gaze to look his former student in the eye, finding only confusion in her gaze.  
"What in the name of Kami was that?", he asked.  
She shook her head in annoyance, as though there was nothing to talk about.

"Nothing, really, I just let my temper take hold of me."  
"I can tell, but that's not what I meant."  
"It's nothing!", she said loudly, clearly trying to end the conversation.  
However she forgot whom she was talking to. He was many things, but not anywhere stupid enough to buy it. And she knew it.

Then, in a motion too swift for the human eye, he pushed her against the wall, one hand next to her face. Her eyes widened and her heart rate increased in surprise.  
"Kakash-senpai..."  
He lowered his face to her ear and whispered insistently:  
"I'm your friend, not your enemy. I don't know what happened to you but I'm determined to find out, for your own sake. If you won't tell me, I will simply have to find out by myself. And I can be _very _persistent, Sakura."  
Before she could utter a response, he retreated to the doorway.  
"Now let's go take a look at these supposed prodigies, shall we?"

With her heart still rapidly pounding against the walls of her chest, she tried to shake the impact his words had had off. He had hit home, and she was certain that he was well aware.  
Why did he make her mask slip so easily? She had lived in Sunagakure for a year and never displayed any thing that might give her away.

_It's just harder because he knows you so well. You know how perceptive he is, _she told herself.  
Determined not to let him bully her into spilling the beans she took a deep breath and followed him down the hall. He didn't look at her as they reached the classroom and simply pushed the door open.

The moment he stepped through the door, Sakura could observe how his entire demeanour instantly changed. Gone were his authoritative posture along with his determined gaze. They were immediately exchanged for his signature raised hand and friendly face as he stepped over the doorstep. She stepped in to the room after him and made a mental note of watching her behavior around him to prevent any future slips.

"Yo.", he said cheerily and went to stand in front of the blackboard. Sakura silently placed herself beside him, smiling politely at the three youngsters seated in the front row.  
Iruka smiled encouragingly at his three students.  
"Tsurugi, Akihiro, Yume – meet your teachers."

"Teachers? As in both of them?", a nosy voice belonging to the boy who seemed to be the first born immediately asked.  
Iruka nodded and gestured towards the jounin who stood casually at his side.  
"Hai. Hokage-sama thought you should be supervised by two jounin instead of the regular single sensei."

Kakashi held up his right hand to silence the academy teacher.  
"Don't think too much of it, it's just to experiment with a different tutoring method."  
Sakura couldn't help but smirk at his immediate attempt to keep the genin from thinking too highly of themselves. Arrogance mostly meant death in the world of shinobi. Confidence was a huge asset to a ninja, over-estimation however was a great liability to the team.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake, I'll be your sensei from today on.", the silver-haired copy-nin introduced himself. "Provided that you pass my test."  
Iruka gave him an astonished look and leaned closer.  
"Even with the direct orders from Tsunade-sama, you plan to have them take your test before accepting them?"  
Kakashi nodded.  
"The test shows me if they are capable of learning from their mistakes to form a new plan. If they fail to do so, there is no point in me even trying to teach them to throw a kunai.", he added, his eyes never leaving his would-be students. They seemed surprised at the mention of the test but didn't voice any concerns.

Sakura felt as though she had been thrown back in time. The legendary copy-nin had acted precisely like this back when he'd first introduced himself to team seven almost ten years ago. Still, she felt a slight twinge of anger rise up in her. She hated to be overlooked even though she was used to it. Until she became novice to the Hokage, she had been of little consequence to her peers. And even after that, she stayed in the shadows, hardly ever noticed by anyone but her shishou and the occasional stupid comment from Naruto. Being on a team with an orphaned prodigy from a prestigious clan and the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi would make anyone seem superfluous. She cleared her throat and took a step forward.

"And I'm Sakura Haruno. I'll be mentoring you alongside Kakashi-san. I'm looking forward to see what you can do."  
She was about to ask about their general interests when Kakashi suddenly spoke.  
"We should get going, after all we have a test prepared for you. We can talk on our way to the training grounds."

The three genin practically jumped out of their seats, eager to show off their abilities to someone new. Still they behaved very differently from one another. If she hadn't known, she would have thought them strangers.

The tallest of the boys was of a much rougher nature than his brother with his short raven hair and toned frame. The second boy who seemed more the introvert type the way he didn't look anyone in the eye, had long strands of sandy blonde hair and was a tad shorter and of scrawny build. The girl seemed like a bundle of joy, the smile never leaving her face. She was a brunette and her chestnut curls bounced around her heart shaped face. Sakura could easily see how she could come to like the girl, provided that she was as adorable as she looked. However being adorable didn't make you a good shinobi. She would have to see if those looks were acompanied by skill.

After leaving a happy Iruka behind, the triplets followed behind their newly gained sensei in silence. When they reached the outskirts of the village, Yume was the first to break the silence.  
"Sakura-nee-...I mean Sakura-sensei, where are we going?"  
Smiling at the almost-endearment, she answered:  
"Training ground 7, it's not far from here. It's just around the corner from the Memorial."  
Satisfied with the answer, the girl fell silent once again.

Walking a couple of meters behind the genin, she turned her head to Kakashi.  
"Despite your dislike for plans and schedules, I suggest we talk this over after today's training."  
He nodded in agreement.  
"Hai. Might be best. I just want to see what they can before I bother. Most teams placed under my wing failed on their first day of training. Team 7 was the first to ever make it."  
"So you agree that we ought to talk?"  
"Mhm. We have a lot of talking to do and we should get it done before we take the team on for real."

She couldn't help but notice the double-entendre in his statement. He really wasn't going to let it go was he? She sighed inwardly and looked ahead to the three kids silently walking in front of her.  
"Did you mean it when you said that I should be nervous?"  
He looked surprised for a second but quickly regained control of his facial expression.

"I never said that."  
"But back in the office..."  
"I asked if you were nervous, I didn't say that you should be. I know that you're a capable kunoichi. Despite what some might think, you're not my student anymore. You've long since become a shinobi that I consider an equal."  
Her features softened at the hidden praise.

"Thank you Kakashi-senpai..."  
Again he interrupted her, though this time his face was friendly and his voice but a soft whisper.  
"Drop the honorifics Sakura. Like I said before you left, you're not my student anymore, nor should you appear to be any less in charge than me to those three dunderheads." He motioned to the genin. "My name is Kakashi, use it."

She shook her head, unable to do what he asked.  
"Can't do it Kakashi-senpai. You might have caught me off guard when you last asked me to call you by your given name. But I can't do that."  
"And why would that be?"

She sighed.  
"Because I've looked up to you for my entire career as a shinobi of Konoha. You taught me most of what I needed to learn in order to become the ninja I wanted to be. Even though Naruto and Sasuke-kun kept you busy, you still had a great impact on me. You've saved my life a more often than I care to remember. Besides, no one ever calls you plain Kakashi. Everyone respects you too much. You were supposed to become Rokudaime after all."

"Maybe I just want to be Kakashi for a change. Less 'Legendary copy-nin Kakashi of the Sharingan', less 'Kakashi Hatake, son of Konoha's white Fang'."  
At that last sentence she stopped dead in her tracks for the second time that day.  
"Huh? You're a hero, people look up to you."

"Hero huh? I don't think so. And I'd rather be just Kakashi to you, than Rokudaime Hokage."  
And with that he called out to the three genin ahead.  
"Yo, you three. We're there, you can stop walking."

Sakura watched him as he approached the three kids. She had never thought that he disliked his role in the world of shinobi so much. She'd make sure to hear more about it when she got the chance. She followed her colleague and listened as he explained his idea of an entry test to the genin. Little did she know how soon her view of the silver-haired shinobi would change.

Three hours, twenty-two minutes and sixteen seconds later, she fell onto the grass. Kakashi had taken his revenge on her for stealing his precious _Icha Icha _novel by changing the target of his famous bell-test. Instead of stealing set of bells from Kakashi himself, he had ordered the Genin to get the book back from her. She'd managed to fend them off with ease for ages, while the silver-haired jounin watched from the shadows. She'd held back as to avoid injuring any of them seriously. They had only started using their true potential when she'd sent Tsurugi flying with a chakra punch to the gut.

She had felt sorry for him but unless they felt like it was a real fight, they wouldn't have used their entire arsenal of jutsu. At the end Yume had acted as a distraction while Akihiro fired a Katon-style jutsu at her. She had managed to evade the fireball without much effort but had then felt a kunai pressing against her shoulder letting a light trickle of blood run down her back. Before she could react, the raven-haired kid had snatched the paperback from her waist pouch and jumped backwards, out of her reach.  
Kakashi had grinned and dismissed the students after complimenting them on their excellent teamwork.

Sakura placed her palm above the place on her shoulder where the boy had drawn blood and focused her chakra and her hand began to glow green. Within a matter of seconds, the wound closed with no scar to be seen. Then, she got up and gathered the few shuriken and kunai scattered around what had become the battlefield.

She hadn't used many but she was adverse to wasting perfectly good tools when she could easily pick them up after a sparring match. Then she returned to find Kakashi waiting at the Monument raised in honour of their fallen comrades. New names had been added over the course of time, the fourth great shinobi war had taken it's tolls. But losing comrades was just as much a part of shinobi life as taking lives themselves. That didn't make it any less of a troubling experience. He turned to face her, his face never betraying what he might feel.

"I would say they managed fairly well.", he said, waving his rewly  
regained book in the air.  
She nodded. They had much to learn but their abilities were remarkable for their age and training level.

"Yeah, I was surprised that Yume tried to bind me in a genjutsu. I dispelled it right away but it was still rare."  
It was true, Sakura had a natural talent for dispelling genjutsu. A simple "kai!" was usually all it took. Her precise chakra control allowed her to disrupt the flow to her brain with ease, shattering the illusion.  
"We should start talking about how to approach their training."  
The copy-nin nodded.

"Mhm. Your place or mine?", he asked with the silkiest voice he could manage. There was no harm in teasing her a little, as long as he kept her temper in mind.  
"Yours. How about i cook us dinner while we talk? I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving."  
She really was hungry. She reminded herself to bring a packed lunch next time. She probably ought to make one for Kakashi in future as well, the man hardly ever ate. Not that he was underweight, not at all, he was perfectly toned.

Snapping back to the actual conversation she studied his face. He actually seemed to be contemplating the pro's and con's of having her in his apartment. She had known him for years and yet she had no idea where he lived. After another few moments he answered her as though he hadn't put any thought into it at all.  
"Sure, that would be nice. My cooking is far from adequate so it would be nice to have something different from prepacked ramen for a change."  
"Fine, just give me your address, then I'll stop by after I've freshened up."  
"Just meet me down the market and we'll do the grocery shopping together."

What was with the gentlemanly attitude all of a sudden? She shrugged. The man was a mystery. Always had been, always would be.  
She had no idea how soon she would come to know the utmost secrets of the man behind the legend.

* * *

So that's the end of the line for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading it! The next one might even be up later as it's already half-written and pre-edited. As always I'm happy to receive critique be it good or bad (or even better, constructive!).  
I try to accentuate these two completely underrated characters. I feel like Sakura is being left out by everyone in the series so I try to make up for that. And where Kakashi is concerned, he gets plenty of screen time but it's never more than skin deep. I strive to change that!  
So until next chapter my dears.

SomeShades.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello!  
This is where things start to get messy. A tiny little bit of action and a lot of confusion up ahead! I hope you enjoy it.  
I changed the title of the story due to the changes I've made to the over all plot. The chapters I've posted remain unchanged, the original title just didn't fit the plot-twists I have planned a little ways down the road. Please forgive me if this change caused any confusion.

* * *

After a quick shower to rid herself of the sweat and blood from the training, Sakura tried to find something less battle oriented to wear. As much as she had come to love her uniform, it wasn't for casual wear. She picked out a simple white tanktop and a long red qipao-style slitted skirt similar to the dress she had worn as a genin. She even exchanged her combat-shoes for flat, strappy leather sandals which she tied up her calf. Her hitae-ate still found it's place around her neck, despite her off-duty clothes, there could be no doubt about her occupation.  
With a quick look in the mirror, she grabbed her wallet and stuck it in her skirt-pocket before swiftly leaving the apartment.  
She couldn't deny that she was excited to see where her former sensei lived. Even though he had behaved in a very bipolar way towards her all day, he still fascinated her. There was a shroud of mystery surrounding him, there always had be. Even after all these years and despite their closeness, she realised how little she actually knew about Kakashi. Sure she knew everything there was to know about his career and accomplishments but not much was known about his true self. Even Kurenai and Guy seemed to know little about their comrade, secretive as he was.  
She streched her arms upwards as she walked towards the village market, wondering if he would betray anything beyond his love for the _Icha, Icha _series during their talk. She knew that she had to be on guard for any attempts to discover her secrets. She smiled at the irony of it. They were both trying to extract information from the other. What an incredible shinobi situation to be in.

Once she reached the central market square, she looked around for the tell-tale green flak-jacket and the silver-hair, but the ninja in question was nowhere to be seen. She nearly jumped as she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see an unexpected sight.  
"Yo!"  
In front of her was a casually dressed version of her former sensei. His face still hidden by the ever present mask, and his sharingan hidden by his hitae-ate, he had apparently shared her reasoning when it came to battle gear during dinner at least partly. He wore a simple black t-shirt and his gloves and flak-jacket were absent. His trousers remained those he usually wore, complete with shuriken holster and shinobi boots. Still, he looked different. She had never seen him without his battle gear so she was dumbstruck at first but instantly smiled at the change.  
"Konbanwa, Kakashi-senpai.", she greeted him cheerily.  
He sighed at the honorific but didn't comment on it. He simply motioned for her to follow him.  
As they walked towards the grocery shops, Sakura used the opportunity to inquire after his food preferences.  
"Is there anything special you'd like me to cook?"  
Slightly taken aback by the question he gave herr an odd look.  
"Anything is fine with me."  
She sighed.  
"I was thinking of making goya-chanpuruu. It's fairly simple and nutritious and not too heavy considering the weather."  
He nodded and looked perfectly pleased at the idea of a stir-fry.  
They quickly procured the ingredients which Kakashi both paid for and carried in a big brown paper bag, much to her dismay.  
"If you're going to prepare the meal, it's only fair that I pay for it.", he had dismissed her argument and ended the discussion. Then they had left the store and headed towards the quieter parts of the village, close the outer wall.  
"Were you serious when you said that you only eat cup-ramen?", she asked.  
"Hai. I told you, my cooking is far from adequate and I hardly ever have the time either. I don't eat at home much anyway. Guy-san usually drags me around the bars."

She nodded, satisfied to hear that he did eat other things as well. After around ten minutes, they reached a building not too different to her own home. They walked up the stairs and Kakashi fumbled with his key. She couldn't help but smile at the Konoha-sign on his key-chain. He motioned for her to enter first and she obeyed.  
She quickly untied her shoes and neatly placed them close to the wall. She noticed how he simply slipped out of his boots and then gestured for her to follow him into the apartment.  
She immediately marveled at the spartan furniture and decor. The living room with the open kitchen was as minimalistic as she would have expected, furnished with a low table and a comfortable black couch. On the wall there was a bookshelf containing every single novel Jiraiya had ever published along with multiple volumes on jutsu of all kinds.  
"If you're done with your inspection of my living room, would you mind joining me?", his voice sounded slightly amused at her surveying his home.  
She nodded, trying to hide her embarrassment and stepped over to the small kitchen. He had already unpacked the groceries and looked at her with his head cocked to the side.  
"Tell me what you need and I'll tell you where to find it."  
He seemed slightly uneasy for some reason and she nodded. Then he took a seat at the bar separating the kitchen from the living area. He seemed content to simply watch her prepare the food. No doubt he was trying prevent her from poisoning him.  
In her thought she laughed at the idea and began slicing up the spring onions and chicken.  
They didn't speak for what seemed like an eternity until she cleared her throat, uneasy at being watched by his lone coal-black eye like she was prey to a hawk.  
"Uhm, Kakashi-senpai...what do you think, about the triplets I mean.", she started, her nervous tone giving away her uneasiness. However he didn't seem to notice.  
He took his time to answer, one of his annoying habits.  
"They did perfectly well to me. The elder one, Tsurugi, seems to have an aptitude for weaponry."  
She nodded, continuing to prepare the vegetables for the stir-fry.  
"Yume however never physically engaged in the fight, she tried to snare me in genjutsu a couple of times, never realising how fruitless her attempts turned out to be. She might need a little more intensive training compared to her brothers though.", she continued the assessment.  
"Akihiro was interesting to watch. I've never had a student to master Katon-style-manipulation at that level as a genin besides Sasuke."  
She tensed visibly at the mention of _his _name. _He_ was the last person she wanted mentioned let alone be the topic of conversation.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he saw her tense. That was odd, considering that she had never displayed anything but admiration and sadness at the mention of her rogue team-member.  
He rose from his seat and stepped next to her, trying to get a look at her face.  
Her eyes were obscured by her bangs as she mechanically chopped the vegetables, her hands steady.  
She seemed to be trying hard to keep her composure, biting her lower lip fiercely. Any more pressure and she would be drawing blood.  
"Sakura, are you alright?", he asked, his voice laced with worry.  
She sighed, then left go of her lip then looked up at him and smiled as though nothing had ever happened.  
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"  
There she went again. Something was off, and he had a fairly big hunch that Sasuke had something to do with it. Had he happened upon her when she had been away?  
"Stop lying, there's no need for it."  
She shook her head.  
"I'm serious, I'm fine. Would you hand me a pan please? I need to start frying up the chicken."  
When he didn't react to her request, she tried to move past him to retrieve a pan from the cupboard in which she suspected the tool to be. However, he didn't play along. With a swift move he grabbed a hold of her wrist and looked her straight in the eyes.  
"Sakura...I just want to help you."  
Her features softened at his tone and she sighed.  
"I know. Just please don't. There are things I just really want to forget ever happened."  
He shook his head in defeat, letting it go for now. However there was not a doubt on her mind that this was far from over, nor that he was sincere in just wanting to help her.  
He let go and turned towards the cupboard to retrieve the pan she had asked for.  
As she went about her task, he crossed the room and gathered a pair of glasses and a bottle of shochu.  
"Can I offer you a drink?", he asked, already pouring the transparent liquid into the crystal glasses.  
She hesitated slightly before accepting the glass he held out to her. She knew better than drinking when trying to prevent someone from learning her secrets. But then again she was in desperate need of relaxation. And there was no harm in one glass. She returned to the cooking and felt his gaze on her back.  
"Kampai.", she heard him muse and she sipped at the liquid, adding the finishing touches to her chicken stir-fry simultaneously.  
"Plates?", she asked and he pointed to the cupboard to her left. She plated up the food and taking two sets of chopsticks from the drawer, she put down the meal on the low table in the living room.

Kakashi grabbed a bottle of soy-sauce from the counter and joined her, sitting next to her in a cross legged position, where as she was on her knees, leaning on her heels in a traditional table posture. He smirked and eyed his plate with delight. It had been ages since his last home cooked meal and he was looking forward to it, even though he'd devour it faster than she could blink.  
"Itadakimasu!", he muttered and reached for the hem of his mask when he noticed her gaze on his face. He couldn't help but smirk. He remembered when team 7 had followed him around trying to catch a glimpse of what might be underneath his signature mask. They had been persistent, but what lay beneath remained a secret to this day and he intended to keep it that way.  
It wasn't for the sake of vanity, it was a principle to which he stuck. Even when he had female company for the night, he never let them see his face. Over the last couple of years, since the war, his conquests had been numerous and anonymous to keep it simple. He desired only momentary comfort in an inebriated state of mine and craved release. And he had been surprised at how many women were willing to submit to his conditions. They were well aware that it was a one time thing and never expected more. And he was content with that.  
He gave her a look before asking with an amused tone.  
"Do I fascinate you to such a degree that you neglect your meal to stare?"  
She blushed bright pink, matching her long tresses and muttered an apology, quickly turning her attention towards her food and turning slightly away from him, resisting the urge to peek.  
He quickly pulled down the mask and swiftly emptied his plate before replacing the fabric over his nose and clearing his throat.  
"Arigatou gozaimasu Sakura-chan. It was delicious as expected."  
He almost laughed out loud as she turned back to face him in surprise. Her facial expression was akin to that of a fish, mouth opened in shock.  
"How in the name of Kami did you manage to eat that fast?", she asked.  
He shrugged.  
"Couldn't have you peek could I?"  
She shook her head in mock exasperation and continued eating. Meanwhile they discussed the abilities of their new team and came up with a training plan that they both agreed on. Furthermore they agreed on weekly meetings to discuss the progress made. As they talked, they both emptied multiple glasses of the shochu, Kakashi always turning away to hide his face when he drank. Sakura felt her head spin after the third glass and vowed never to touch the vile liquid again.  
The somehow ended up on the topic of the aftermath of the war and how life had changed.  
Kakashi was used to the liquor, drinking more often that he'd ever admit, and enjoyed the effects of it. However he enjoyed seeing Sakura acting less composed even more. The alcohol obviously affected her inhibitions more strongly than he'd imagined. She was a lightweight and had become more talkative since finishing her second glass.  
He was pulled from his thoughts as she asked him a question he hadn't been expecting.  
"Say, Kakashi-senpai, do you sometimes wish you could turn back time?"  
He frowned, contemplating the question before answering, his voice full of sorrow.  
"Iie. I believe that things happen for a reason and that we grow with every challenge that we face. If I went back in time and changed the past, I wouldn't be me. I wouldn't be who I am today. And neither would you."  
She nodded, though he was not sure if in agreement or just to herself.  
"What did you mean exactly, earlier, at the training grounds?", she suddenly asked and looked him in the eye.

He sighed. He had known she wouldn't let it go, she was too tenacious to do so.  
He pushed up his hitae-ate and revealed his sharingan, though he didn't actively use it.  
"I meant what I said. I'm well aware of my fame in the shinobi world. However I don't see myself that way. I have failed on so many occasions, I don't deserve to be hailed as a hero.", he began bitterly.  
"You know that's not true senpai. You're a hero to Konoha and you've saved countless lives risking your own in the process."  
He groaned at her words.  
"You've saved my life more often than I can remember."  
"That's the job description for any shinobi. I was your sensei and taichou after all. And to make things worse, I've failed to protect those I had sworn to protect. I caused my best friend's death decades ago. I killed my team mate without knowing it and I was unable to prevent Sasuke from going rogue."  
Sakura immediately tensed up again, he noticed. Sasuke must have played a big part in what ever happened to her during her absence.  
Her fingers trembled slightly as she raised her glass, downing it in one draw.  
"Sasuke chose his path. I stopped mourning him long ago.", she spat.  
He looked her in the eye.  
"Sakura what happened to you? Don't take me for a fool. You saw he didn't you? What did he do?"  
"Don't.", she pleaded, tears building up in her emerald eyes.  
"Sumimasen Sakura, but we're in this boat together I'm afraid. We have to work together. And if I have to fear that you lose it every time his name is mentioned, we can't."  
Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile.  
"All business to you huh?"  
He sighed.  
"No. I've known you since you were a kid and I care enough about you to want to help you. But I can't have you put your team at risk because of your pride.", his tone turned serious at the last sentence.  
"I just want to forget but it won't go away."  
"What won't?", he asked softly. If he played his cards right, she just might open up. He wasn't lying, he did care for her. She might not be his student anymore but once you have relied on someone to watch your back, you develop a bond that you can't ignore.  
The tears of the kunoichi were flowing freely now and she shook her head wiping them away. He cursed himself for prying. She wasn't going to tell him after all.  
"Gomen, Kakashi-senpai. I can't.", she sounded genuinely sorry as she smiled a small smile and he nodded in understanding.  
If she needed time to open up, he would let her have it but he wasn't going to let her clam up on him forever.

"Kakashi-senpai, I..."  
"At least drop the honorifics, I beg you. It makes me sick.", he interrupted.  
"You don't understand. You're just as much of a hero to me as you are to the rest of the village. And you were my sensei. I'm proud to have been taught by you."  
"That was all your own doing. You were exceptionally bright even back then. You managed to teach yourself more than I did, after all I did neglect you in particular. Come to think about it, I really have failed you as a team haven't I?", he muttered quietly and turned his gaze away from her.  
Surprised, she tried to understand where that came from all of a sudden.  
"Nani? Kakashi-senpai..."  
He let out a grunt laced with irony.  
"Time and time again I've failed. I couldn't prevent Sasuke from going rogue, I couldn't spare Naruto some of the pain he has lived through. I've failed to protect you, my team on countless occasions, even after I swore to keep you safe."  
Her eyes widened at this unexpected display of emotion.  
"I'm a failure and yet everyone calls me a hero. A legend even. The great Kakashi of the Sharingan. Unable to save his best friend, incapable of protecting his students. Some hero I am."  
He spat the last words as though they left a sour taste in his mouth and ripped the hitae-ate from his forehead, revealing the long scar across his left eye. He closed his eyes and threw his head back in exasperation.  
Sakura was genuinely shocked and uncertain how to react. He had always been the epitome of coolness, never betraying emotion. The only time she had ever seen him get worked up was on the battlefield during the Fourth War. She placed a gentle hand on his forearm.  
"Kakashi-senpai...", she began, her voice trembling, unsure what to say.  
His eyes shot up and with one swift motion he pushed her backwards, trapping her between himself and the floor. He didn't hurt her or crush her as he crouched over her, his face next to her ear.  
"Why won't you simply call me by my name?", he whispered urgently.  
Her breath caught in her throat, she struggled to keep her heart from racing. This was so unlike him. His usually cool and collected demeanour was gone, replaced by a deep sadness and desperation and alcohol on his breath.  
"Is it really too much to ask? No one adds honorifics to Naruto's name and he has done so much more than I...", he continued, his voice ladden with grief.  
"Because he's Naruto", she answered quietly unable to move.  
He sighed.  
"Even so...I envy him for that detail. I just want one person who sees past Kakashi the copy-nin and takes me for the simple human being that I am."  
"Senpai...", she began, unable to find the words she wanted to say.  
"Won't you just call me by my name?", he raised his voice, his mismatched eyes never leaving her. His face silently screamed at her, pleading.  
"Kaka..shi...", she voiced tentatively, trying to comfort the man she had looked up to ever since she could remember.  
"Again!", he begged. He needed her to say his name, he needed to hear it.  
"Kakashi!", she almost yelled.  
Instantly she felt masked lips upon her own, pressing with need. His kiss was gentle despite the urgency and the fabric covering his lips. Sakura didn't move, paralyzed with shock and confusion as she felt herself responding, returning the pressure.  
His eyes remained interlocked with hers, so full of emotion and yet impossible to read.  
Then his gaze softened, his posture immediately loosening up, though he didn't move.  
When he finally released her lips, she was panting, her heart beating frantically in her chest.  
"Arigatou, Sakura-chan," he whispered.  
She searched his face and found sincere gratitude in his features. Despite the awkward position they were in, she couldn't help but wonder how he looked beneath the ever present black mask.  
After a couple of seconds of silence, his eyes widened in shock as though he only realised now what he was doing. He immediately got on his feet and dropped his gaze. Sakura scrambled to her feet and stood in the middle of his living room, looking beyond confused.  
"Gomen nasai Sakura-chan."

Before she could tell him not to apologize, he turned away from her.  
She stared awkwardly at her feet before mumbling to his back.  
"I should get home. Thank you for your hospitality. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."  
"Hai.", despite his facing away from her, he didn't sound angry just disappointed.  
She headed for the door, grabbing her sandals and looked back into the apartment.  
"Oyasuminasai...Kakashi." she whispered, well aware of his keen hearing and stepped through the door, into the night.  
"Yoi yume o...Sakura-chan."

* * *

A bit of heat, loads of confusion and much more to come. I don't see how someone can be as cool as Kakashi without having some serious issues. So bear with me.  
As always, I love feedback.

SomeShades.

Glossary:

Konbanwa : Good evening.  
Goya-chanpuruu: Goya-style stirfry  
Kampai! : Cheers!  
Itadakimasu! : Thanks for the meal (bon appetit).  
Arigatou gozaimasu : Thank you.  
Nani? : What?  
Gomen nasai : I'm sorry.  
Osyasuminasai : Good night.  
Yoi yume o : Sweet dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello you lot!  
Here's the promised fifth chapter. It's really long, sorry about a heap for the reviews, I appreciate it! As always, this one is for you.

* * *

She had made it home in a state of utter inner turmoil. Never before had confusion taken a toll on her the way it had done as she had remained frozen to the spot outside his apartment, staring into the night. Whether it had been seconds, minutes or hours, she didn't know. She had found herself standing in front of her own front door at some point, though she would have been unable to tell anyone how she had gotten there.  
After letting herself in, she hadn't bothered with her shoes and simply let herself fall unto her bed, eyes closed, heart confused. All she could think of, was how wrong she had been. How wrong everyone had been. For all these years, she had relied on him to have an answer to every question and a plan for every situation, no matter how dire. Whenever she and her team mates had been grief-stricken and unable to think, their sensei had stepped up and taken control of the situation. No one had ever thought of asking him how he felt about it. And he never voiced his emotions, always putting everyone else first. Whatever the problem, they had turned to him and thanks to his quick wit and experience, he had always presented them with a solution. He had always been the first to place unconditional trust in Naruto when everyone else was uncertain. Whenever they had been in tears over their rogue team mate, he had been the one to tell them that they would bring him back for sure. And when they lost faith, he had always been the one to place a hand on their shoulders and with a smile, tell them that he believed in them.  
She sat up, leaning against the headboard and pulled her knees up, resting her forehead on them. She had seen his deeds throughout the years, his selfless sacrifice for Konoha and the Will of Fire and never even thanked him.  
He was the most loyal person she knew. Not only to his students, but to his beliefs and ideals, his friends and village. Even to the memory of his father, despite the slander he had to endure. He never backed down, always ready to sacrificed himself to save a comrade, despite whatever personal differences or rivalry between them. He was the one person she had always been able to count on. Always seeing beyond the surface and never wavering in his resolve. A shining beacon of hope not only to her and her team but to Konoha as well.  
And she had always looked up to him because of it. Whatever happened, Kakashi would know how to deal with it. And yet, she had never bothered to see the world through his eyes. No one had. The had relied on him but never truly tried to understand the weight of the burden they had put on his shoulders, no matter how strong he might be. They had always just assumed that his brilliant mind and strong heart would handle it without fail. They had hailed him as a hero, especially since the war. Ever since he had been the one to deliver the final blow during the war, he had been a hero above all others. It had all been his own doing, with no prophecy to guide his way or bijuu forcing him to be above others. He had slain his best friend for the sake of peace and the lives of his comrades. He had done what she and Naruto had been unable to do, for the sake of those he loved.  
She couldn't even begin to imagine what he must have felt when he faced Tobi on the battlefield after learning that he was in fact his best friend, whom he had believed to be dead for decades. The grief he must have felt when his adversary had refused to see reason and he had been forced to deliver the killing blow.  
She felt tears slowly build up in her eyes as she remembered that fateful day, four years ago.

Running from the field hospital they had set up as close to the actual battlefield as they could manage, she made her way through through the crowds of shinobi. Most were fighting, some were injured and some were awaiting instructions. She had been dispatched to attend to injuries near the core battleground when she saw a flash of lightning. Involuntarily she turned only to see Kakashi facing Tobi who was yelling something at her sensei. She couldn't make out most of the words but managed to grasp at least a name. Obito. Her eyes widened with shock. Obito of the Uchiha clan? She knew that name. He had been Kakashi's team-mate when he first became jounin and died on the first mission he had been taichou on. She gasped in surprise. He was supposed to be dead.  
Kakashi seemed equally shocked when the Akatsuki leader dropped his mask, revealing his face and a lone sharingan. The missing one implanted in her sensei's face. What followed was a series of attacks, too fast for the untrained eye to follow. However something was off. She could tell that her sensei was holding back, evading hies foe but missing his vital organs on purpose. He was yelling something incomprehensible at the man, as he nullified most of the Uchiha's attacks. It continued for a while, none of them relenting, Kakashi taking one blow after the other but never wavering. At some point, Kakashi stopped yelling and seemed to gather his resolve. When Obito attacked him, he slid onto his knee and ducked only to reappear behind his former team-mate and burying his Raikiri deep within the Akatsuki's chest. When he collapsed, Kakashi followed, hitting the ground face first.  
Sakura ran towards the pair of them, ready to put her skills as a medic to use. The silver-haired jounin was out cold, his chakra depleted and suffering from blood loss. He had sustained some serious injuries that needed tending to immediately. She turned and yelled at two chuunin to help her move the unconscious Kakashi so she could start healing him. Days later, she was tending to his chakra depletion when he regained consciousness, slowly opening his eyes. He asked her if it was over, his voice think with grief.

"Hai, sensei. It's over. We won.", she assured him with a tired but soft voice.

His eyes were empty as he looked at her.  
"In war, no one wins. Even if we're victorious, we still lose. Every life lost is a tragedy.", he muttered with a faint smile and closed his eyes.  
She hung her head and continued to infuse her chakra into him, his words haunting her mind.

She wiped her face, trying to make the steady flow of tears subside. Her efforts however remained fruitless.  
Even then, after he had struck down his childhood friend whom he had believed dead for so long, he hadn't allowed himself to succumb to the darkness. He had smiled, however sad the smile, and been genuinely happy that the war was over while he mourned the unnecessary loss of lives on both sides. He had done what she hadn't been able to do. He had sacrificed his own emotions for the greater good, for the safety of his village and comrades.  
And yet he considered himself a failure, for being unable to protect his team back then. He might even think that Obito's twisted game was his fault. He had killed Rin, which she learned only later. And he had promised to protect team 7 and yet, Sake had become a nukenin. Despite his great sacrifice and the impossible number of people he had saved and the burden he carried, he still felt as though he was unworthy. To him it didn't matter how many people he protected and how many people regarded him as a hero. To him, just like Naruto, it was the ones he failed to save, even though it was out of his hands, that haunted him.  
And for all these years, she had failed to understand, burdening him as much as any one else in the village, and honoring him for his bravery and humility. And all he had asked of her was to call him by his name and thus acknowledging him as a human being. And she had refused. He had been forced to lose his composure before she had granted him this simple favor.

She slid down and under the covers, curling up. Even in his state of unhappiness, he had still tried to be there for her, to help her shoulder her burden, despite his own weighing heavily on his battle-worn shoulders. He had genuinely wanted to listen, to stand by her if she took his offer.  
She couldn't help her guilty conscience. She couldn't tell him. Not yet anyway. He had too much on his plate already and there was no way she was going to make it worse. She had caused Naruto so much pain by making him promise to safe Sasuke and she had unknowingly done the same to Kakashi. She wasn't about to repeat that mistake anytime soon.  
And with her resolve fastened, she slowly drifted off, giving in to sleep as it claimed her.

_Around her was only darkness. Above her, beneath her, only blackness. Curled up, suspended mid-air, she was unable to move. The cold was mind numbing and she felt liquid trickling down her abdomen, what it was, she didn't know though she suspected it to be blood. Suddenly, white-hot pain shot through her, causing her to scream out in agony. Her muscles tensed and she clenched her teeth, biting her lip in the process, drawing blood. Again, the pain pierced through her resolve to __endure and she whimpered in anguish. _

_"Iie...", she sobbed, pleading, "Onegai...stop...".  
All the reply she got was a cold laugh. Suddenly two red orbs appeared before her eyes, glowing in the darkness. The sharingan spun and she felt the urge to throw up as her intestines were twisting and her head threatened to explode.  
"Now, now, Sakura-chan...", a silky, ice-cold voice whispered mockingly. It made her want to scream, as it invaded her mind. She knew the owner of the eyes and the voice that claimed her sanity and left her begging for death. Again she felt the searing pain behind her belly button and screamed anew.  
"Scream as much as you want to you silly girl...No one can hear you in here.", he mocked her, his tone icy.  
How she had longed for that same voice to tell her that he cared about her so long ago. Now all there was left of the boy she knew was this twisted monster, bred by revenge and hatred and nursed by insanity. Over and over again, the pain stabbed through her abdomen, making her beg for him to kill her. He denied her request, the pain never subsiding.  
"Can't do that Sakura-chan...You're my insurance policy after all." She stared in shock at the top of her lungs as her abdomen burst open, searing black flames erupting, eating away at her body. She opened her mouth to scream but was silenced by the same flames creeping out her mouth. She gradually slipped from consciousness and everything exploded in pain.  
_

She shot up, her shoulders trembling, her eyes wide with sheer terror. She was unaware of the red glow her eyes emitted as she stared into the darkened room. Her lips quivered as she struggled to breathe, gripping the sheets so tightly that her knuckles went white while her other hand pressed firmly against her abdomen, trying to soothe the throbbing pain. She tried to tell herself that it was only a nightmare and that everything was going to be okay. However she knew it wasn't true. She gasped for breath at the memory. It had been real to her. Even if it was a nightmare this time, it had been her reality. The blackness, the cold. The black flames eating away at her, fueled by his hate and taking hold of her chakra. Her hand automatically reached for her neck, releasing the sheets and finding the mark underneath her tresses. She stroked the three black tomoe his curse had left on her pale skin trying to stop them from burning. They felt searing hot underneath her fingers as she continued her efforts to calm down.  
"Yarou...", she spat underneath her breath. He had made damn sure she would never forget him, eating away at her day after day. It had been over a year since he had placed his seal on her. And the nightmares still haunted her. She sighed, her hands still trembling and lay down once again. Closing her eyes she left her hand on her neck as the tomoe marks began to cool. She doubted that she would find any more sleep that night.

When dawn crept up on the Hidden Leaf, she was among the first to rise. She stripped herself off the clothes from the night before and went into the bathroom where she came to stand in front of the mirror. Her pale green eyes were blood-shot and her face even paler than usual. She placed her hand over her eyes and it flickered green as she healed the blood vessels, making her look less tired.  
After a quick shower she donned her uniform, making sure her hitae-ate and the flak-jacket covered the ominous mark she grabbed her breakfast consisting of a hyourougan and left the house. She traveled over the rooftops through to the dewy training grounds around the memorial stone. She never noticed Kakashi sitting in a tree reading _Icha, Icha _and watching her from a distance. Once she had eaten the soldier pill she had brought, grimacing at the taste, she immediately began practicing her ninjutsu, particularly the ones she had developed on her journey. Proficient with taijutsu, she had put much effort into learning how to use ninjutsu properly, since everyone else seemed to be doing that already. She had learned nature manipulation after she set out, using chakra paper to determine her affinity. She had been astonished to discover that she was mizu-typed but nevertheless, after a few months she had mastered seishitsuhenka, namely suiton. Never one to stop at the ordninary and following her quest to become stronger, she had used her access to the Suna-archives and devoured the files on _kekkei tota, _the only way a shinobi without kekkei genkai could manipulate two natures and combine them to create a new element.  
She had been relentless in her training, spending months and months trying to to master it before achieving success. Combining mizu-natured with kaminari-natured chakra she created arashi-natured chakra, hence enabling her to use the seishitsuhenka ranton, which until then had only existed as a Kumogakure kekkei genkai. Once her work in the hospital was completed and her abilities with her new element were to her satisfaction, she had returned to Konoha.  
Even though she had only mastered arashi-typed ninjutsu for a few weeks she continued to grow more proficient in it's use.  
She threw a shuriken and took a deep breath and let the two chakra types flow into her hands. Rapidly weaving the signs Ne, Tora, Inu, Mi , she let them collide and eyed her target decisively.  
"Ranton: Raiza Sakasu!"  
The rays of light that shot from her fingers shot towards the shuriken one after the other and caught it mid-flight. It was sent flying in a different direction landing a few hundred feet away.

Happy with the result, she let the chakra flow subside. She needed to get a drink of water as using seishitsuhenka still was exhausting for her to perform but as she turned around she nearly jumped in surprise.  
"Yo.", a cheery Kakashi smiled at her, hand raised in greeting. He looked as though nothing had happened the night before. Her inner Sakura immediately took over and with a loud _"_Baka_!", _she punched through the air. Her hand collided with his hand as he caught her fist before she could send him flying.  
"Gomen nasai! I didn't mean to scare you."  
She eyed him, still fuming at him for appearing out of nowhere. Or had he been around longer? Had he seen her training?  
"What did you see?", she asked pointedly, determined to know.  
"Kekkei tota if I'm not much mistaken."  
Taken aback, she gave him a suspicious look.  
"How..."  
He tapped his hitae-ate, draped across his sharingan as usual, making her question void.  
She sighed.  
"Oh. Mh. That."  
He smiled.  
"Impressive. Only a handful of shinobi know how to do that. Most need a kekkei genkai to use multiple natures. Which of both is your original affinity?", he asked, curious to know.  
"I'm water-typed. It took months for me to learn how to manipulate lightning as well", she muttered, still angry at his spying on her training.  
"Had it been anyone else, it would have taken longer. You're exceptionally bright."  
"I still have trouble releasing both natures simultaneously to create arashi-natured chakra. It still costs too much energy for me to do it often."  
He thought about it for a minute before answering.  
"You really should ask Yamato about that. He's doing it all the time to create his wood-element."  
She nodded.  
"I just wanted to get a better hang of it before bothering him."  
"Hai. But your display right there looked just fine to me. I would have thought you to be an earth-type though.", he smiled.  
She laughed to herself. She had expected to be so as well, she had been surprised beyond belief to learn of her actual affinity.

"Sakura...", his serious tone pulled her from her thoughts.  
"Hai, Kakashi?"  
He looked surprised as she didn't add an honorific and sounded pleased as he continued.  
"I owe you an apology. I behaved inappropriately last night, and for that I am sorry."  
She shook her head.  
"Iie, you don't have to apologise. You only made me see something I have been ignorant of for so long and I'm ashamed of it to be honest.", she answered.  
"Doushite?", he asked, his tone curious.  
"You've sacrificed so much for Konoha and for the ones you care about and yet you fail to see yourself as the hero you're hailed as. And if all you require in return for saving me and believing in me through the years, then let me show my gratitude by allowing me to see beyond Kakashi the copy-nin and know Kakashi the human."  
At her words, his facial expression changed from mildly surprised to outright shocked.  
"I've had the privilege to be a student of Kakashi of the Sharingan. He said he would always believe in me. Will you allow me to repay him by being your friend, Kakashi Hatake, the human behind the legend?", she asked quietly, her tone sincere.  
Kakashi looked several degrees of confused before closing his eyes and taking in her offer.  
"It would be my honour, Sakura Haruno.", he finally smiled at her.  
"It's settled then, no more titles for you, Kakashi-kun!", she laughed, her heart full of gratitude.  
This would be the first step to help him shouldering the burden she had helped place on his shoulders.

They were interrupted by a gigantic fireball erupting from the bushes surrounding the monument. Thankfully their reflexes were sharp enough to evade the jutsu in time by leaping backwards, thanks to years of experience.  
As they landed a few meters away, a disappointed Akihiro emerged from the forest, followed by his brother who was holding his belly, laughing. Yume eagerly skipped after them, looking pleased.  
"Baka, I told you that you wouldn't hit them."  
"Damare, teme! I'll get them next time!", the blond boy yelled.  
"What exactly was that about?", Kakashi asked, his brow raised questioningly.  
"Nii-san bet aniki that he couldn't hit you with his ninjutsu.", Yume beamed at him, seeming to think the situation to be extremely funny. Akihiro however was sulking while his older brother was grinning haughtily. Somehow the pair of them reminded Kakashi of Naruto and Sasuke.  
"Listen you lot. Never use jutsu against comrades or teachers outside of training unless you're told to do so by your superiors. It's not a game. That same jutsu you just used, could have cost lives in combat.", he lectured.  
"Teamwork above all else, and for the time being, Sakura-sensei and I are a part of your team. You're shinobi, like us, and we can't go around using ninjutsu on each other."  
Sakura watched him as he tried to assuage the boys and make them realise how important teamwork really was.  
Once done, he pulled a scroll from his waist pouch.  
"As a matter of fact, today's task will be a perfect way of showing you what being a shinobi is all about. We have our first mission as team 2!"  
The youngsters beamed.  
"Are we going to hunt rogue ninja? Or kill an arms dealer? Or are we doing research behind enemy lines?", the three genin yapped away excitedly.  
Kakashi grinned at their enthusiasm and then went serious.  
"Iie, our mission is even more special.", he said. Sakura had a hard time containing her laughter. After all she knew this habit of his.  
"Nani? What is it sensei?", they chorused, once again reminding their teachers that they were triplets after all despite their diverse looks.  
He opened the scroll and with an important voice stated:  
"We're going on a super-special cat-collecting D-rank mission!"  
The three of them immediately shot him dirty looks complaining of how totally unfit this mission was, for ninja of their caliber.

Suddenly Sakura felt a pang of searing pain on her neck, causing her to bite her lip. Trying to look perfectly nonchalant, she cleared her throat.  
"Sumimasen, Kakashi, would you mind awfully taking care of this without me? I just remembered that I have to see Tsunade-shishou about something.", she muttered.  
He eyed her suspiciously,  
"Is everything alright?"  
She did her best to look cheerful.  
"Hai, hai. I just need to tell her something I forget to report on my stay in Sunagakure."  
He didn't look convinced but nodded nevertheless.  
"Fine, I'll handle the cat-hunters here alone."  
"Arigatou, Kakashi-kun.", she smiled faintly before turning around and leaping off into the woods, leaving the copy-nin to handle the three sulking genin.

As usual, she stepped into her shishou's office after knocking politely. The Godaime was busy with paper work, which she stamped at an amazing speed as Shizune struggled to keep up.  
"What is it Sakura?", she asked, her tone friendly.  
"Gomen nasai shishou, for interrupting but I need to speak to you."  
The Hokage looked up, waiting for her student to continue.  
"Permission to speak freely?"  
"Granted."  
She spoke tentatively, as if not sure if it was a good idea, but she was left with no choice, the searing pain driving her insane.  
"I was wondering if you knew how to lessen the effects of juinjutsu.",she almost stuttered, well aware of the discussion ahead.  
Tsunade's eyes narrowed at the mention of curse-marks.  
"Doushite? We haven't come across any for a while, so why would you need to know?", she asked, immediately on guard.  
Without a word, the pink-haired kunoichi reached for her hitae-ate and loosened the knot. Then she slowly pulled it off her neck revealing the burning juin, consisting of the three tomoe and the circles around it, glowing like embers.  
Within the blink of an eye, Tsunade rose from her chair and crossed the room towards her pupil while Shizune dropped the stack of papers she was holding.  
The Hokage inspected the curse mark while Sakura did her best not to cry out in pain as it sent another wave of pain radiating through her body.  
"How did you get this?", she uttered in shock, her tone disappointed, "Why didn't you bother mentioning it in your reports or when you returned 2 days ago?"  
She was now yelling at her student, her words full of worry and disappointment.  
Sakura looked at her teacher and bowed her head.  
"Shitsurei shimashita, Hokage-sama," she whispered, "I thought it was dormant, I didn't want to bother you."  
"Foolish girl. A juinjutsu is never to be taken lightly! How did you come by it?"  
She hesitated, knowing she would be scolded one way or the other.  
"Sasuke.", she whispered.  
Tsunade didn't look surprised, just all the more angry.  
"He really had chosen the path of destruction.", she muttered, "I need you to tell me exactly what happened and how the curse mark acts when activated. Don't leave out any details."  
Sakura nodded, knowing that if she wanted her shishou's help, she needed to be truthful.  
"He got to me only days after I had left Konoha. He happened upon me close to the border of Kaze no Kuni, though I don't think it was intended. He was accompanied by a sensory type ninja, and had followed my chakra signature. The moment I saw him, I made the greatest mistake you possibly can – I looked him in the eye and was immediately caught in a genjutsu, created by his mangekyou-sharingan. I was stuck in his twisted world for what felt like years while he tormented me.", she paused, reliving the memory of her confinement in his world, feeling those black flames eat away at her.  
She took a deep breath and continued.  
"When he finally released my mind, I was unconscious. I don't know what happened then. The next thing I remember was lying in the woods, covered in cuts and blood with this accursed seal on my neck. I made it to a small village on the border and found out that he had kept me prisoner in my own mind for 3 months."  
The Hokage and her secretary listened careful not to miss a word.  
"I came down with a fever the next day and spent a couple of weeks in the village until I was well enough to continue. Thereafter I continued to Suna, confused and distraught and the rest you know.", she concluded her tale, "It haunts my dreams. Whenever I feel strongly about something, it goes off."  
Silence fell on the room and after what seemed like an eternity, Tsunade finally spoke.  
"Does anyone else know?"  
Sakura shook her head.  
The Hokage looked at her, her face serious.  
"The juinjutsu he used is similar to Orochimaru's _ten no juin._ Sasuke probably learned it from him."  
Sakura had thought as much.  
"There's not much I can do, except giving you some pain relief. The curse mark however will stay until Sasuke is defeated. I urge you to keep this secret. We can't afford Naruto to run off to hunt down Sasuke again. He is still considered a nukenin and it's his intent to destroy Konoha. He will turn up eventually. Until then, you will report to me whenever it activates, we need to monitor it's development closely.  
The kunoichi nodded and accepted the little vial of liquid that her shishou held out to her.  
"One drop. Not more."  
"Hai. Arigatou gozaimasu, Hokage-sama.", she whispered and turned to leave.  
When the door shut behind her, Tsunade continued to look at it.  
"Sasuke Uchiha...you've chosen your fate."

* * *

There you go, that was a long one. I just couldn't stop my fingers from typing, despite that I should have ended the chapter earlier, I couldn't help it.  
I hope you like it, and as always, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts.

SomeShades

Glossary:

Yarou: Bastard  
Hyourougan: Soldier pill  
Mizu: Water  
Kaminari: Lightning  
Seishitsuhenka: Chakra nature-manipulation  
Arashi: Storm element  
Kekkei tota : technique used to combine two elements without having a kekkei genkai  
Damare: Shut up  
Teme: You! (rude)  
Doushite?: Why  
Sumimasen : Sorry.  
Nii-san: big brother  
Aniki: different word for big brother  
Juinjutsu: Curse mark  
Ten no juin: Cursed seal of Heaven  
Shitsurei shimashita : Formal apology


	6. Chapter 6

I'm alive!  
My sincerest apologies for the long wait, alas I had a severe case of writers block to keep me from writing! However that dragon has been slain and so I shall proceed to post chapters a little more often. Good that I don't have an updating schedule (even though I love having a creative paradigm to work with, my life doesn't actually allow me to schedule updates). However, enough of my rambling, enjoy your well deserved little chapter.

* * *

The weeks that followed Sakura's confession to the Hokage turned out quiet and uneventful mostly. The times were peaceful which allowed the shinobi villages to breathe a little. The three genin prodigies continued to moan at the very mention of the tedious D-rank missions they were given and swore that once they moved up in ranks, there was no way they would ever retrieved missing cats or deliver letters from one end of town to the other. It was at times like those that Kakashi took his time to make sure that the triplets understood that even the most insignificant mission contributed to keeping the Hidden Leaf running smoothly. They would pout and grimace at his lecturing but in the end, he was sure that they understood. Obviously those menial tasks weren't what the academy students imagined shinobi life to like, but the youngsters had much to learn before they would become precious assets to the village and a little humility was never wrong if anyone asked his opinion. After all, shinobi were but tools in the greater picture. The means to an end. While Sakura, who continued to excuse herself every couple of days to see the Hokage, reminded their pupils, how important teamwork was and generally defused the sibling rivalry between brothers, he tried to help them see beyond the techniques they practiced. It proved to be quite a troublesome task, since the triplets, despite their abilities, were a stubborn bunch and strongly believed that the best ninja were those who mastered the most jutsu. The ideas of mental strength and will power were foreign concepts to them.

Once, during that very argument between the jounin and his pupils, Sakura had intervened:  
"If that's the case, you're being taught by the very best, right Kakashi?"  
Before he had been able to answer, three pairs of eyes had beamed in excitement.  
"How many do you know?", they had chorused. These three really hadn't known anything about their comrades, except Naruto whom they revered as a hero. Normally he would have lectured them on knowing their comrades and superiors but Sakura answered on his behalf.  
"It's said that he knows a thousand jutsu which he copied from other ninja with his sharingan.", she had told them and the copy-nin watched as the two youngest had struggled to keep their jaws from colliding with the ground.  
"Iruka-sensei told us in class about Konoha's copy-nin. There's no way that's you, sensei. You fool about too much to be the legendary single-sharingan-user.", Tsurugi had said, his grin arrogant as ever.  
That was when Sakura's hand had twitched and seconds later, the mouthy genin had sported a throbbing bulge on his head accompanied by Sakura's lecture on respecting one's superiors and the importance of knowing one's comrades abilities, that matched her fellow teacher's. After ranting on for a full half hour, she had sent the three of them off to the Konoha archives to study the registry on current Konoha shinobi and their abilities. After all they could easily end up fighting alongside them some day.

Kakashi smiled to himself as he walked through the streets of Konoha, enjoying the summer sun rays. It was early September, soon autumn would catch up with Hi no Kuni as well and the days would become shorter. He had always preferred summer to winter, the snow was too much of a bother and made traveling and harder. Plus he was an outdoorsy person, and there was no way he could sit outside, reading when the landscape was snow-covered. He sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked to the Hokage tower. Tsunade had requested his presence for the first time in weeks and while he had been happy to be off heavy duty for a while, he couldn't say that he didn't miss the adrenaline that only real work shot through his veins. He secretly hoped he would be rid of the terrible three for a bit, after all they really did take their toll on his nerves. Rarely had Konoha seen such stubborn genin and combined with their proficiency within their respective fields, they were a real challenge. He still hadn't decided if he liked them or hated them, however they were increasingly annoying. Maybe he was getting too old to mentor genin. He shuddered at the thought. He was only thirty-three after all. Almost thirty-four. He sighed and brushed away the thought as he arrived at his destination. After a short chat with Shikamaru whom he met in the entrance hall, he hurried to Tsunade's office, knowing that he was hopelessly late, a habit which continuously infuriated Sakura as well. Old habits did die hard after all.

He entered the office with a polite apology for his lateness, and just when he wanted to rattle down a completely fictional story about how a giant tiger had challenged him to a duel on his way here, he noticed that he wasn't the only jounin present. Before he could ask, the Hokage barked at him, her tone indicating no good.  
„Better late than never. I don't have time for small talk. Tokuma, Yamato I'm sending you on a S-rank mission right away, Kakashi, you're team-captain. We received a warning from Iwagakure, that Sasuke Uchiha might be headed for Konoha."  
Kakashi's eyes narrowed, Sasuke had been off their radar for a considerable amount of time. It was always painful to be reminded that his student was still planning to eradicate Konoha and every one in it.  
„He was seen, traveling to the west, he escaped past the border to the Hi no Kuni a few days ago. I need you to investigate his whereabouts and probable destination and send intel back to me. Kakashi, use your ninken for that purpose. Yamato will use his mokuton to blend in with the environment and Tokuma's Byakugan should be able to pinpoint his location once you close in on him."  
„Wakatta.", Kakashi turned to face his team members. The team itself was perfectly suited to carry out a mission like this one. And that Tsunade was sending three jonin to gather intel just went a long way to prove how serious a threat Sasuke had become. The three of them were just about to leave when the Hokage spoke again.  
„One more thing...", her tone was hard, „Don't mention this to Naruto or Sakura."  
Taken aback slightly, the three of them spoke in unison.  
„Wakarishimasu."  
„Then gather your equipment, you leave within the hour. Kakashi, stay behind for a word."  
The Hyuga and Yamato left the room, leaving their taichou behind to talk to the legendary Tsunade.  
He waited for the honey-eyed woman to speak, curious as to what more she had to say.  
„About Sakura...Leave it to me to explain your absence. It's crucial that she know nothing of this mission. It would kill her." Tsunade's voice was dark, leaving him to think that she wasn't speaking completely metaphorically. He couldn't shake the thought, however stupid it might be.  
„I have plenty of D-rank missions for your students to keep them busy, so she should be fine."  
„Shikashi, Hokage-sama... It wouldn't be fair to them after all the sacrifices they have made for Sasuke."  
Her eyes softened, making her look less like the Hokage and more like a lioness, determined to protect her cubs. Sakura had become like a daughter to her and Naruto reminded her of someone special.  
„I won't yield, Hatake. Naruto would run off and try to confront him again. And I can't allow that to happen. Not yet. As for Sakura, it's no less intense. If I didn't know better, I would say that she would try to kill him herself. She can't know. The intel you will be gathering is to her benefit after all."  
„How?"  
Tsunade immediately went back into Hokage-mode, the softness gone from her eyes.  
„I can't tell you. Now go, and remember, if you so much as breathe a word about this mission to her... ."  
He was worried considering that Tsunade had indicated that something in this mission was related to Sakura. The girl had become a mystery since she had left and since her slip ups after she hadn't given him any information what so ever. He still yearned to help her shoulder her burden, whatever it might be. After hesitating for an instant, he nodded his understanding, his heart screaming at him. His conscience wasn't pleased to leave in secret, not after what Sakura had done for him over the past couple of weeks. She had made him bento everyday, insisting that friends keep each other from starving and she had taken up cooking him dinner every other day as well. And here he was, skipping off in secret on a mission to investigate her former team-mate and which just happened to have something to do with her. And he couldn't tell her. Tsunade-sama was right, as usual, but still, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He was a rule-abiding and guideline-loving shinobi, he always had been. Still he had learned to put team mates before rules the hard way and he wasn't about to send his principles packing.

He left the office, pondering his dilemma, as he jumped over the rooftops to his apartment to gather a few of his tools. After his kunai were stashed and his rations packed, he grabbed a sheet of paper from a drawer and with a pen quickly scrawled a few lines and folded the paper, addressing it to the pink-haired kunoichi. He then quickly waved a few signs and bit his thumb, pressing it firmly to the floor and mused.  
„Kuchiyose no jutsu!"  
With a pop, Pakkun the pug appeared, curious as to what the copy-nin might need his assistance with.  
„What is it Kakashi-kun?", the canine inquired, looking gruffy as ever.  
"Sumimasen Pakkun, I need you to take this to Sakura, I'm going on a recon mission and the Hokage asked for your assistance when the time comes."  
The ninken growled in understanding and let the silver-haired shinobi tie the note to his leg. As soon as he was done, the pug disappeared out of the open window in search of the kunoichi.  
He then grabbed _Icha Icha Tactics_ from it's place on the shelf and stashed it in his second waist-pouch which he wore solely for that purpose. He hadn't been able to leave without at least leaving word, it would have torn up the fragile balance they had gained in their new-found friendship. Sakura still did mother him too much, considering that he was fourteen years her senior, but he didn't mind it. He swiftly left the apartment, placed a rigged explosive tag on the back of the door as a security measure, should someone enter uninvited, and locked it.  
Then, leaping across the rooftops, he soon met up with Yamato and Tokuma near the main gate and wordlessly set out to investigate his rogue student. He had lost count as to how many times he had been part of a mission involving the Uchiha and he couldn't help but hope that it would turn out to be more than a recon mission. He had sworn that he would be the one to take down the monster he had helped create, if it was the last thing he did.

Sakura was at the hospital when Pakkun appeared. She had been helping out with the overflow of dehydration cases, using her medical ninjutsu to replenish chakra and giving intravenous fluids to the more severe ones. Since Yume had fallen ill the previous evening, she had given the team some time off until she was well  
enough to train.  
She was surprised to see the grumpy pug stretch his leg towards her and giving him a good scratch behind the ear and a treat, she took the note from him. She thanked the ninken, knowing how much he hated being the messenger dog for Kakashi when it wasn't absolutely necessary. Only after Pakkun had disappeared, did she unfold the the piece of paper, revealing Kakashi's familiar scrawl.

_"Sakura-chan,  
For the next while, I'll be away. Tsunade sent me on a mission, the exact nature of which I can't reveal to you. She asked me to keep it from you, but my conscience disagreed. You, given your history, deserve to know, that the mission is related to Sasuke, who has been sighted in Hi no Kuni. That, however, is all the information that I can disclose and I must ask you to keep this note a secret. Tsunade only had your best interests in mind when she ordered me not to tell you. But she didn't mention writing and as your friend, I felt that you ought to know. As your former sensei and friend, I need you to promise me to stay in Konoha and not to do anything stupid. Don't tell Naruto either. I hope to be back soon.  
Ki o tsukete,  
Kakashi."_

Her heart almost stopped beating when she read _his _name and suddenly she felt more frightened for her senpai than ever. She had been the last shinobi from Konoha to cross the bloodthirsty Uchiha's path and it had left a mark upon her. She didn't dare to imagine what might happen if Kakashi and his team happened upon him. Why were they sent out anyway? Tsunade wouldn't send Kakashi in an attempt to kill him off would she?  
Her hands grasped the paper so tightly that her knuckles went white and before she knew it, she found herself leaping out of the window towards Hokage tower, ready to confront her shishou, ignoring Kakashi's plea to keep the note secret. She felt anger build up inside her, directed at the legendary kunoichi and her secrecy. She was no little girl anymore, she was a full-fledged jounin, who had seen war and practically lived on the battlefield since she was twelve. Her inner self was urging her to go on a rampage but she steadied herself, curious as to how Tsunade would explain herself.

She entered the office without knocking, causing the Hokage's eyes to shoot up in surprise. Her face was twisted in anger and disappointment as she stood before her shishou and her voice trembled as she spoke.  
"Tsunade-sama...why didn't you tell me about Sasuke?! You should have sent me to deal with him, I'm perfectly able of doing that myself! I was the last to see him, I know what he is capable of doing! What if they get killed? What if -"  
Tsunade slammed her fist onto the desk with full force, causing the massive wood to crack and the table collapsed. The amber eyes of the Godaime were filled with anger, anger that was clearly directed at her subordinate.  
"Silence!", she roared, "You know next to nothing! Kuso."  
Sakura was dumbstruck for a second, and before she could speak, the Hokage continued.  
"I sent Kakashi and his team because they're the best I have! You might be skilled Sakura, but you're nowhere near the level of the jounin I assigned this mission to! And who said anything about assassinating Sasuke? Eventually we will deal with him, but that isn't what I sent them off to do! They're supposed to gather intel only! And even if it were a kill-order, you'd have no right to question my judgment and I will not have you speak to me like in that tone!"  
The pink-haired girl was feeling more embarrassed by the second, turning several shades of scarlet and hanging her head. She had been foolish to think that her superior would dispatch a three man cell to take down the nukenin.  
"Shinjirarenai! He deliberately ignored my order by telling you and yet he leaves it to me to explain! He'll face the consequences when he returns. As for you Sakura – the intel they are gathering might even help us with your ordeal."  
The young jounin looked up at her shishou, curious to know more though she was still deeply ashamed of herself.  
"Donoyouni, Tsunade-shishou?", she whispered, careful not to upset her intemperate superior any further.  
The older woman sighed and turned to face the window front, overlooking the Hidden Leaf.  
"Kakashi, Yamato and Tokuma Hyuga are supposed to gather intel on _his_ whereabouts and intents. The more we know about his plans, the more likely we will learn about his intentions for placing this juinjutsu on you."  
Sakura nodded silently, wincing slightly at the mention of her mark. The last few days, it had been acting up again, whenever she felt at peace or just a brief moment of happiness even, the black tomoe on her neck would shoot searing pain through her entire body which at times made her faint. She wasn't proud of that last part – she was a shinobi after all. Losing consciousness over a bit of pain was not an option.  
Shizune, who had been silent until then, caught her reaction and didn't hesitate to question it.  
"Sakura – has anything changed with your mark?"  
She shook her head, not mentioning that the pain had increased in intensity and frequency. The last four nights she had spent on her bathroom floor, curled up in a ball after seeing her reflection in the mirror. She was a strong woman, but seeing herself covered in black markings after waking from her recurring nightmare wasn't something she could handle with ease. But what scared her most, were her eyes when she had seen them reflected in the mirror.

She was called from her thoughts by Tsunade who seemed to wait for an answer to a question which Sakura had failed to hear.  
"I'm considering having Kakashi take a look at the curse mark once he returns."  
Her eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head rapidly. He was the last person in Konoha who she wanted to see it. He would demand to know why she hadn't told him and she didn't want to burden him any further. She had sworn to help him carry his burden, not to place additional weight on his shoulders, however strong they might be. Their relationship had changed over the last few weeks. He had started to let his guard down around her and she enjoyed the closeness of their friendship. She cooked him meals for dinner frequently and they ate together in silence mostly and both enjoyed the informality of it all. She made always prepared an extra bento for him before she left in the mornings and she knew that he enjoyed it. They had come a long way from being teacher and students. They were friends, perhaps even more like family to another, after all, they both had none left.  
"Iie, Tsunade-sama."  
The gold-haired woman looked surprised.  
"Donoyouni? He was trained by the Yondaime, no one knew more fuuinjutsu than him! And he managed to keep Sasuke's curse mark under control. He might be able to at least suppress the pain and help us understand the juinjutsu itself."  
"Demo...His burden is heavy enough already without the knowledge of my predicament. I don't want to cause him anymore trouble."  
Tsunade smiled slightly and crossed the room to stand in front of her apprentice.  
"Sakura, he's a jounin, just like yourself. Probably the best shinobi we have. He taught you as genin and yet you have learned nothing it seems. Kakashi has one motto. Remember it?"  
Sakura's eyes widened as she realized what her mentor meant. The silver-haired copy-nin had always preached teamwork to be the most important attribute of a shinobi. Knowing all about your team mates could prove to save lives in battle. And yet here she was, his former student and yet she kept vital information from him.  
"Would you rather he found out himself? He would curse himself for not noticing earlier and he would share your burden either way. I suppose he already suspects something is wrong, perceptive as he is. You have become close friends as far as I know or am I wrong? You both lack family, if he offers to help you, don't turn it down. You can lean on him Sakura."  
"Hai..."  
She nodded in understanding and turned to leave the office. She politely apologized for her behavior and with her thoughts following a certain copy-nin, she went home, making her way over the rooftops of the Leaf.

* * *

So here we are, slightly less eventful than usual but essential anyway. I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter, especially since it took me an eternity to write. Usually I'm fairly adept, writing around 5,000 words and editing them in less than four hours but at the moment I struggle a little. I write original fiction as well, and it keeps my mind fairly occupied, resulting in writers block from hell. I always appreciate feedback and I shall update again in a few days.

SomeShades.

Glossary:

Wakatta : Understood.  
Wakarishimasu : I understand. (formal)

Shikashi : But / However  
Sumimasen : Sorry / Excuse me.  
Ki o tsukete : be careful.  
Kuso: Shit / Damn! (cuss)  
Shinjirarenai : Unbelievable!  
Demo : But  
Donoyouni? : Why?  
Iie : No.  
Hai : Yes.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello!  
Long time no see – sorry about that. I'll be trying hard to update regularly though sometimes my life does get in the way, being a wife and a mother to a premature baby does take a great deal off my time. However, without further ado, a slightly shorter but all the more juicy chapter for you!

* * *

None of what Kakashi had learned had been expected. How innocent and simple it had been to begin with. Just an average day in the life of a shinobi. Gather intel, send word, return in one piece.  
The last part had proven a challenge. How he had longed to kill the boy who had once been his pupil, to pierce his heart with a strike of lightning. The wicked grin on his face when he had spoken had almost gotten the better of him. _Him._ The calmest and most collected of shinobi, Kakashi no Sharingan, had been just seconds away from embarking on a killing spree at the vile words that flowed so coldly from the rogue's tongue. He had been forced to reign in every shred of self-control that he possessed, to keep himself from mindlessly launching himself at the Uchiha to wipe that twisted grin off his face. And more importantly, to make him stop describing in such excruciating detail, all the horrors he had inflicted on _her. Sakura. _The woman had loved Sasuke blindly, despite his crimes. She had tried, time and time again, to knock some sense into her team mate's mind, vowed to bring him back and even tried to kill him herself when he had refused. But nevertheless, she hadn't stopped loving the black-haired boy. It was only when she had returned to Konoha only months ago that she had changed. And now he knew why. And it made him furious. Never before had he known such rage, it was debilitating and it had awoken an urge to avenge the woman's suffering.

He shifted Yamato's weight on his back, the jounin unconscious, blood trailing from his temples and back, soaking the already torn clothes of the man that carried him. He was alive, barely. He was severely wounded, his chakra depleted, but alive. Tokuma hadn't been as lucky. The Uchiha had trapped him with his mangekyou and forced the Hyuga to slit his own throat, as his comrades were unable to save him. His sacrifice however, hadn't been in vain. The moment, the Hyuga's body had gone limp, the copy-nin had severed Sasuke's arm from his body, maiming him permanently. In a scream of rage and agony, the black-haired boy had vanished, leaving behind his left arm.  
Kakashi dragged himself and his wounded comrade forward, approaching the gates of Konoha. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement, he was dead on his feet, struggling to continue on. With every step, a deep slash in his left shoulder made him cringe with pain. Gritting his teeth, he fell onto one knee and felt Yamato slipping off him. He didn't have the strength to prevent it and with a loud thud, they both collided with the wet ground, unable to move. Before he passed out, his ears could discern familiar voices. Relieved, he welcomed the silence and let the darkness claim him.

The first thing he noticed when he regained consciousness was the all too familiar scent of disinfectant in the air. He knew exactly where he was, there was no need to open his eyes to confirm it. Countless times he had woken up in the hospital before and he found it very calming. The eerie silence and steady beeping of the instruments and monitors were comforting in a way only shinobi could understand. They let you know that you were alive and the technology would keep a watchful eye over you as long as you recovered. However, he was aware that he wasn't alone. The faintest sound of clothes ruffled and a steady breathing somewhere to his right gave the presence away. He inched open his right eye and found Tsunade staring back with a glum expression.  
"Back from the dead, Kakashi-san?", she inquired and he felt himself nod slowly in agreement.  
"Yamato...?"  
"Not to worry – he's well and recovered. You were out for a week."  
He tried to push himself up slightly and instantly regretted it as a throbbing pain shot through his shoulder. He winced and grabbed the throbbing shoulder firmly to ease the pain when Tsunade stopped him.  
"Oh no you don't! It took us a while to patch that back together, I will not have you meddling with it. You're lucky to still have use of your arm, so I suggest you leave it be," her tone softened as he let go, noticing that the pain originated from the healing jutsu rather than the wound itself.  
"Arigatou, Tsunade-sama."  
She nodded.  
"Pakkun arrived with you report the day before you were found outside the gate. I'm sorry that you were forced to engage him, I hadn't expected you to encounter him at all."

He felt fury rise again and furrowed his brow. Sasuke had escaped and he was anxious to confront Sakura. She better have a _good _reason for keeping it from him. Her reluctance however made more sense than ever. So did her grief and the glint of betrayal in her jade coloured eyes.  
"Sakura has been pestering me about seeing you, but I wanted to discuss your newly gained knowledge before allowing her. She's worried sick."  
He nodded again, it was the sensible thing to do. He had learned so much concerning the kunoichi and her shishou needed to know. Besides, he didn't want her to see him in hospital yet again. He wasn't going to burden her any further.  
"Godaime-sama," he began, his voice raw, "She's lucky to be alive."  
The Hokage nodded, gazing out the window.  
He swallowed and took a deep breath to keep his anger at bay before continuing.  
"He held her captive in tsukuyomi for three months."  
"Sono you desu ne. She came to me for guidance a few weeks before you left on your mission."  
"Sou desu ka?"  
The blonde woman nodded.  
"Hai. Seems sasuke placed a juinjutsu on her before she was released from his genjutsu."  
"I know. The things he did to her, the unspeakable horrors he put her through...," he paused," And yet she suffers in silence." And yet she was determined to free _him_ of _his_ demons.  
As if she could read his mind, Tsunade sighed.  
"That is why you cannot abandon her, under any circumstance. She needs you more than you're aware of."  
And with that, the Hokage turned and walked out of the room, leaving the silver-haired jounin behind with a bitter taste in his mouth and a new resolve.

It was late at night when Sakura heard a quiet knock on her apartment door. She had donned a short yukata for the night and had just been about to go to bed. Frowning at the late intrusion, she put down her mug and flung the door open, ready to give whoever was disturbing her a piece of her infamous mind. She didn't even bother with looking at the culprit but launched into a tirade of annoyance.  
"What in the name of kami is wrong with you people, can't a shinobi have one evening off without anyone barging in uninvited!?"  
"Sumimasen, Sakura-chan."  
She froze in her rant, her eyes widened and her mouth still open. Kakashi smiled back at her, his right eye almost closed in an amused arc at her intemperate reaction. He scratched the back of his head with one hand, his trademark move.  
"Forgive the intrusion. I know it's late but Tsunade hinted you might be worried so I wanted to put your mind at ease."

Tears welled up in her emerald eyes as she held his gaze, unable to prevent them from falling. While she had been worried when he had been gone for those long weeks, she had been nearly desperate to see him once she learned of his return. Tsunade had asked her to wait and she had reluctantly agreed, though it pained her more than her tutor knew. While they had grown fond of each other, Sakura had never believed that his absence would affect her so greatly. She had been restless. Unable to sleep or eat properly, she couldn't help but feel vulnerable when he was gone. As though her sanctuary had disappeared. Never had anyone allowed her to relax the way he did. And what was worse – in their world, there was no guarantee that he would return at all. And yet, here he stood, perfectly healthy.  
She was crying freely now, ignoring shinobi rule #25 for the umpteenth time and she didn't care.

He quietly ushered her inside, closing the door for privacy.  
"Maa maa Sakura," he said calmly, placing his hands on her shoulders, "It's alright."  
She looked up at him, her eyes so full of emotions. He could read her like an open book, her sadness, her worry so apparent to him. It was the tinge of anger which mixed with the other emotions that worried him.  
"Have you any idea how I've worried?", she accused as she wiped her tears.  
"You could have died and yet you kept me from visiting you in the hospital? I was -"  
Before she could launch herself into another rant, he grabbed her hands and pushed her against the wall, his masked lips on hers, silencing her while he trapped her body with his, giving in to the urge that suddenly overcame his mind. Her eyes widened with shock as she felt the gentle pressure on her mouth and she stared back at his anthracite eye.

His hands held hers in place next to her head and he could feel her knees weaken and her rigid body slumping somewhat against his, pressed firmly against her. He finally pulled away for air, though not moving away, still keeping her between him and the wall. His breath was ragged while she was gasping for air, his muscles unwilling to move. He swallowed hard as she began to tremble, her eyes still puffy from her tears. She held his gaze, as if she was searching for a reason, for meaning in his coal black eye. He had expected her to push him away but she stayed perfectly immobile, her soft, small body trembling again him, sending welcome shivers down his spine. Unable to grasp the reality of this moment, the idea of which had haunted his mind longer than he would ever admit, he searched her face. The corners of his lips twitched upwards in delight when he found her eyes saying more than words ever could – a silent but desperate plea. He released her hands to cup her face and his calloused finger tips ghosted over her cheeks, wiping the last tear from her pale skin. Her hand was soon entangled in his hair and undoing the knot of his hitae-ate. It fell to the floor with a metallic _clonk _and he felt her hands drop to his face, tentatively grasping the hem of his mask while her eyes searched his face for permission. He hesitated before nodding ever so slightly, allowing her to pull the fabric downwards, exposing his best guarded secret. However, before she could catch a glimpse, he lowered his lips onto hers, claiming her mouth completely. Her hands once again caught in his hair as his found her hips, holding her against him. His tongue found hers, nudging, teasing it as he threatened to consume her. A quiet moan escaped her throat as he nibbled on her lip, once again sending shivers down his spine and stirring a deep longing inside him, a desire which he did not dare yield completely to. The moment was too fragile, and he wouldn't risk it. He growled in response to her moans before pulling away ever so slightly, his eyes catching hers as he rested his forehead against hers.

"If I don't leave now, I won't be leaving at all," he said, his voice low and thick with need. So many emotions, intense longing clouded his mind as he threatened to drown in her emerald eyes.  
"Then stay."  
That was all the confirmation he needed as he let his lips claim hers again, growling against her.  
He allowed himself to close his eyes, pushing against her, for a moment finding peace within her embrace. She, in return let her hands drop to his shoulders and slid them down his sides to let them rest on his back, gently stroking the tight muscle underneath her palms.  
It took every shred of self-control he possessed to move away, but sense finally emerged victorious against his primal needs.

Kakashi took a deep breath and broke away, quickly replacing his mask over his face. His coal-black eye never left her green-eyed gaze as he searched her face, struggling internally as he saw the confused look on her face. He couldn't deny his desire, not any longer, but still, his conscience haunted him. She deserved more. If he was to act upon this attraction, he would do it the right way. He was nothing if not honourable and yet, he had allowed himself to let his desire get ahead of him. Sakura was worth more than this.  
"Kakashi?"  
Her whisper pulled him from his thoughts and he gave a sigh before placing a gentle, masked kiss on her forehead.  
"Not like this."  
The confusion was evident on her features and he pulled her against his chest, engulfing her in a tight hug. For a few moments, none of them spoke. When he let go, she held his hand back when he motioned towards the door.

"Stay."  
"Sakura, I shouldn't."  
"I just don't want you to leave."  
"If I do, I might not be able to keep my distance from here on."  
She smiled slightly.  
"I believe I crossed that line already."  
He didn't word his response but instead nodded and took her hand, leading her to her bedroom after he kicked off his boots. He had seen her place often enough to be aware of his surroundings. He let his gaze survey the room and found the bed, lifting her up and laying her down, a faint and tired smile on his lips.  
He stripped himself of his flak-jacket, shirt and belt, placing his pouches neatly on the pile. Leaving the mesh undershirt and the black cargo pants on, he took his place beside her and pulled the smaller pinkette against his robust frame. He cradled her in his arms, remembering what he had learned, anger flared deep within his being, causing him to hold her tighter.  
"Kakashi. You're smothering me."  
Her light voice returned his mind to the present, suddenly aware of the strength he was adding to the embrace.  
"Gomen ne," he whispered, "Now sleep."  
He lowered his arms, cradling her waist, burying his nose in her tresses and inhaling her scent.  
"Don't leave."  
"I won't," he assured her.  
Nothing would harm her ever again. Of course he was silly to believe that he could keep her safe, after he had failed miserably in the past. But he would try his damnedest to succeed this time around.  
He wouldn't be able to forgive himself otherwise.

* * *

That's all for now I'm afraid. I would like to know what you think so leave a review if you like. Criticism is appreciated!  
Some Shades.

Glossary:

Arigatou : Thank you.  
Sono you desu ne : Looks like it.  
Sou desu ka? : Is that so?  
Sumimasen : Sorry.  
Maa maa : So so. (in this case: now, now)


End file.
